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Government reveals 11 blocks have combustible cladding similar to Grenfell Tower

Cladding has been removed from a building on the Chalcots Estate in north London: PA
Cladding has been removed from a building on the Chalcots Estate in north London: PA

The number of high-rise blocks of flats found to have combustible cladding similar to that used on Grenfell Tower has risen to 11, the Government says.

In a letter to MPs, Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid said the blocks are in eight local authority areas in England, including Camden.

The Government believes that around 600 high-rise buildings in England have some form of cladding.

Landlords, typically local authorities and housing associations, have been asked to check if they used similar aluminium composite materiel (ACM) panels to Grenfell Tower, where 79 people have been confirmed dead or listed as missing presumed dead after a devastating fire last week.

Mr Javid said Camden, Manchester and Plymouth were three areas where buildings had failed the test but stressed he could not reveal more because local residents in the others have not yet been informed, despite landlords being alerted to results.

Earlier on Thursday, the Government had revealed 600 UK blocks could have cladding similar to Grenfell’s but only seven were identified as “combustible”.

That included the the five multiple-storey towers of the Chalcots Estate in Camden. The council announced on Thursday it would be urgently removing the facades.

Just because a building fails the Government test to determine whether it has combustible cladding does not mean it is unsafe, with that to be determined after more checks by the fire and rescue services, Theresa May's deputy spokesman said earlier.

Mr Javid urged landlords to send samples to the Government's testing facility, which can handle around 100 samples per day, with extra capacity available if necessary, as a "matter of urgency".

In his letter to MPs, the Communities Secretary went on: "I also want to reassure colleagues that you will be made aware if any sites are in your constituency by the local authority in the first instance - my department stands ready to assist colleagues if further information is required.

"To ensure that local authorities and housing associations know how to respond where tests do show action is needed, my department has today written to every one of them to ensure they know what immediate steps they should take if the testing shows cladding material is unlikely to be compliant with current Building Regulations, and I attach a copy of this for your information.

"We should be clear that landlords have a legal obligation to provide safe buildings. Where they cannot do that, we expect alternative accommodation to be provided.

“My department stands ready to work with local authorities to ensure they can meet their obligations to provide safety for their tenants. We cannot and will not ask people to live in unsafe homes."

In an emotional conclusion, Mr Javid said the Grenfell Tower disaster has "shaken" his understanding of his job in the Cabinet.

"As a minister I have always been prepared to make tough decisions. I understood the pressures that come with public life but this disaster has shaken my comprehension of what it means to be in office.

“I have met some of the victims of Grenfell, I have witnessed for myself the grief and anger of those who have lost so much - more than just their possessions but also their loved ones, their security and their memories.

“This government will do everything possible not just to replace houses and provide immediate relief, but to seek justice for those people who have been failed. This tragedy should weigh on the consciousness of every person tasked with making a decision so this can never happen again.”

Additional reporting by the Press Association.