Holyrood committee to examine Scottish tower block fire safety

The safety of Scotland’s high rise tower blocks will be examined by a Holyrood committee following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in London.

The Scottish Parliament’s local government and communities committee will scrutinise accommodation in Scotland’s high rise communities, by expanding an on-going inquiry into housing and building regulations in Scotland.

In a letter sent to Housing Minister Kevin Stewart today, the committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s investigation of tower blocks in Scotland and outlines its own plans for further scrutiny of building standards and conditions.

Bob Doris, convener of the local government and communities committee, said: “There are thousands of families and individuals living in high rise accommodation across Scotland and they are understandably looking for reassurances at this deeply worrying time.

“Whilst both the Scottish Government and our social housing providers have moved quickly to take action and to allay fears, it is important that our Committee provides an additional layer of scrutiny both in terms of fire safety and building standards. That is precisely what we intend to do.

“All parts of the UK must learn from the disaster at Grenfell Tower and we must do all we can to ensure no-one has to experience the loss of a loved one in such tragic circumstances.

“Our Committee will be reviewing building safety standards in full, particularly in highly-dense urban areas with many high rises. We will speak to local authorities, landlords, tenants and of course the Scottish Government as part of this inquiry.”

Local authorities across Scotland have carried out urgent assessments of their properties in the wake of the catastrophic incident at Grenfell Tower.