Update from the Inquiry

As work continues on the Phase 1 report and with preparations for Phase 2 hearings well under way, the Inquiry has written to core participants with the following update on the progress of its work.

This update includes information about:

• Phase 1 report
• Evidence relating to the deceased
• Phase 2
• Memorandum of Understanding
• Counselling Support
• Venue
• Panel Members

Phase 1 Report

The Chairman is reviewing the full body of evidence presented in Phase 1 and is drafting his report. The Chairman hopes to complete his report in the spring.

Ahead of the Phase 1 report, the Inquiry will continue to publish evidence relating to the first phase of its work. The Inquiry will write to core participants with a schedule of the documents to be published in tranches. It will continue to tweet links to the documents when they are published on the evidence page of its website.

The Inquiry will publish details of its Phase 1 costs following the completion of this stage of the Inquiry.

Evidence relating to the deceased

As stated by the Chairman in his closing remarks on 12 December 2018, in discharging its terms of reference, the Inquiry will seek to carry out, as far as it properly can, an investigation into the deaths caused by the fire of a kind that will make it unnecessary for the coroner to pursue her own investigations.

For each person who died, the questions which are required to be answered by an inquest are who the deceased was and when, where and in what circumstances they died. The Inquiry is consulting with legal representatives for the bereaved and expects that by the autumn much of the available evidence relevant to answering those questions will have been presented.

Phase 2

The Inquiry has been organised into two phases. The focus of Phase 1 is to establish what happened on the night of 14 June 2017, so that in Phase 2 attention can be directed to those aspects of the circumstances leading up to the fire that are likely to shed most light on the causes of the disaster. The full list of issues being considered in Phase 2 can be found here.

There is a considerable amount of work in progress to prepare for Phase 2 hearings. The Inquiry has written to a substantial number of individuals and organisations seeking evidence and documents relating to the issues being investigated in Phase 2. This process is continuing.

As at 28 February 2019, the Inquiry had received over 540,000 documents in total and estimates that it will eventually receive in the region of 600,000 documents. The Inquiry has identified that the total number of non-duplicate documents is approximately 476,000. Work continues to review disclosure received from material providers and, where necessary, to follow up with providers who have not yet completed their disclosure.

Phase 2 disclosure to core participants is underway and will continue in tranches throughout 2019. Before it can be disclosed to core participants each document received by the Inquiry must undergo a review for relevance. Consideration must also be given to whether it gives rise to further lines of inquiry, including the need to request additional documents or witness statements. Redactions must be applied where necessary. To date, the Inquiry has disclosed to core participants 21,500 of an estimated 200,000 documents relevant to Phase 2. 

This infographic can be found here.

Memorandum of Understanding

The Inquiry has agreed an Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Metropolitan Police in respect of Phase 2 of the Inquiry. This has been added to the Inquiry’s website alongside an explanatory note.

Counselling Support

Counselling support services continue to be available if you need to talk about anything to do with your emotional well being. The Grenfell Outreach Team is open every day from 9am to 8pm, and at night from 10pm to 7am. They can be called on 020 8962 4393. More information can be found on the NHS website: www.grenfellwellbeing.com.

Venue

The Inquiry is progressing with the lease of a west London venue and hopes to have concluded its commercial negotiations within the next few weeks. The Inquiry will consult with core participants to ensure their requirements are taken into consideration as it takes forward the design and fit-out of the new venue.

Panel Members

The appointment of panel members is a matter for the Prime Minister. The Inquiry will ensure suitable arrangements are in place for their induction on appointment.