Housing minister: 'We need a step change and action taken by those responsible' for Grenfell Tower

thank you very much for being on the program today you're of course here to talk about the granal inquiry and what needs to happen now um just before we get on to that I would just like to get your reaction to the interview with Ron durma that we've heard um this evening um the advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu he's criticized Labour's decision for this partial arms embargo on Israel he says it's a shameful decision to be made at a time when Israel is fighting a war you'd ask yourself how the British people would feel if when Churchill was leading Britain in its fight against the Nazis and Britain was standing largely alone if all of a sudden there was an arms embargo from its great friend and Ally I don't know what your response is to that David Lamy our foreign secretary uh made the decision based on legal advice we are committed to and rightly so observing international law uh and making sure that our arms exports are compliant with international law uh and also we desperately need and want a ceasefire we need to see hostages released and since labor came into Power the Prime Minister as well as the foreign secretary have engaged with Partners across the Middle East including Israel as well as the other countries that are critical to ending the Bloodshed ending this war and of course Partners uh in other countries uh including the US so Britain has got a very important role to play in uh and that is what you're seeing uh we need that International Leadership role uh we also need to see an end to this War uh and we have consistently called for ceasefire uh and so you know that has got to be our focus and we are absolutely committed to following international law I mean you lost a lot of votes to Pro Gaza candidates at the election I mean you know about this in your own constituency you run pretty close in Beth green and B is this decision partly about listening to the message that some of those voters were trying to send to you the decision was based on legal advice uh and we have legal commitments and obligations in relation to Arms exports you're not worried about is the basis the basis on which decisions and time was taken to consider the advice the last government uh con uh announc the review this government under David Lamy took the time to look at the legal advice and it was based on that legal advice okay um I'm Keen of course to talk about the grandpal inquiry um the horrific tragedy that we saw and now seven years later we have this inquiry what's your reaction to the report well it's today uh is a such an important day uh for of course uh the uh Grille uh survivors the family members and The Wider community and it's a really important day for our country because what happened uh as Sam Martin said was avoidable and so it's it's a day where we need to make sure that we reflect as a country and we are we have the resolve together to make sure this never happens again um I just want to ask you something because I I guess I kind of began the day thinking that it was an important day but then listening to some of what the family members have said they don't think it is an important day not all of them at least they think that this is actually just delayed Justice delayed criminal prosecutions and has just taken seven years to find out something that to them was blinding obvious from the start is it an important day well first of all uh it was very important uh that the Prime Minister uh responded and uh stated uh that on behalf of the British State uh to apologize for what happened uh and we accept that successive governments have failed uh and we need to correct that government you accept that through the sir Martin's report sets out uh starts uh the reference to 1991 through to to to uh to date uh and it's really important that uh responsibility is taken and action is taken and that's why uh the Prime Minister set out uh that we will respond to those recommendations within six months uh and your to your point about Justice uh absolutely uh they correctly want to see Justice uh and we uh we are absolutely committed to supporting the Metropolitan Police and the crime prosecution Service uh as they uh proceed with the work uh that is underway everyone as you say you know everyone agrees that this must never happen again that that that's got to be one of the really important things from today and of course you're the building safe safety Minister it's a huge responsibility on your shoulders do you feel that responsibilities that something that you know keeps you up yes I do uh and as an MP who represents a constituency and a burrow with a a a very large number of buildings that have clading uh I have campaigned on these issues for many years uh and I know how uh how worrying it has been it is for families uh for individuals living in buildings that have clading uh and that's why um it's a huge privilege for my party to be in government for me to be in this position to I hope be able to take the steps uh to make sure with my colleagues in government uh ensure that those buildings are remediated as quickly as possible because it's not happening fast enough uh the resource has been made available over5 billion pounds we need to a step change and action taken by those who are responsible for remediation to do so uh and uh I want to make sure that we take that action I'm interested to bit what you're saying about the state of housing now about the fear that some families feel um particularly in your own constituency as well I know I used to live in the constituents actually so I know I know it quite well um what is the state of housing like now for many people across the UK well we've made a commitment to building 1.5 million that's my question what kind of thing you seeing now with people's homes what they it's it's you know you know that there are issues around the condition of homes uh social housing in particular uh but repairs and maintenance uh uh and also the supply of housing of supported housing which I'm also uh responsible for uh housing for uh women fleeing domestic abuse uh housing for those facing overcrowding those with uh special needs there's a all sorts of areas where we need to make sure there are proper Arrangements um and that's why the the labor party in our Manifesto set out our plans for house building it's an ambitious plan but it's needed the younger generation are having trouble getting onto the property ladder Supply is a big issue uh and safety is a big issue which is why the lessons that need to be learned uh we need to make sure that the future house building program is fit for purpose uh and that they are safe and secure homes okay thank you very much indeed thank Youk you good to have on the show thank you