Labour’s watered-down policy on high-rise evacuation ‘is insult to disabled people who died in Grenfell fire’

Labour’s refusal to introduce “genuine” emergency evacuation plans for disabled people is an insult to those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower disaster, say disabled campaigners.

The government quietly published its response this week to a consultation that ended more than two years ago on Conservative plans to weaken a key recommendation made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Its response shows that Labour ministers now plan to base their policy on the Conservative plans, which disabled campaigners believe will continue to pose “an unacceptable and preventable risk” to disabled people.

The Grenfell Tower fire, which began in the early hours of 14 June 2017, led to the deaths of 72 residents, and analysis of the inquiry’s final report suggests about 20 of them were disabled people.

Five years ago, the inquiry called for a new duty on owners or managers of high-rise residential buildings to prepare a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) for all residents who might find it difficult to “self-evacuate”.

But the Conservative government rejected the PEEP recommendation, even though those who responded to a consultation overwhelmingly supported its introduction.

The Home Office consulted instead on its own “alternative package” of measures, which it called Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus, a weakened version of PEEPs.

This second consultation ended in August 2022, but the Home Office has only now published its response, under the new Labour government.

Labour ministers are now set to implement plans that are based on the Conservative proposals, even though the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) made it clear in the consultation that they did not go far enough to address the inquiry’s key concerns.

NFCC told the Home Office that the proposals were only “a first step in laying out how to identify residents who may be in need of assistance to evacuate their building in the event of a fire”.

It said that “more must be done to ensure that [those in charge of high-rise buildings] undertake their responsibilities in a more suitable and sufficient manner than simply providing a toolkit to guide them. 

“Responsibilities should be mandated and criteria established that could result in a PEEP being developed.”

But the Home Office has rejected this advice and will instead go ahead with a watered-down version of PEEPs, which it will call “residential PEEPs”.

The individual in charge of a high-rise building – known as the responsible person (RP) – will now have to take “reasonable steps to identify vulnerable residents”.

After carrying out a “Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment” on each of these residents, the RP will then have to identify “potential” measures to enable their evacuation that are “practical, proportionate and safe” and discuss these with the disabled resident.

It will be up to the RP what measures are implemented, and for some measures “within their flat” the disabled resident may have to pay to ensure they are carried out.

In the event of a fire, it will be up to the fire and rescue service to “fight the fire, and undertake the evacuation and rescue of vulnerable residents”, the Home Office says.

There was anger among disabled people’s organisations at the government’s proposals.

Adam Gabsi, chair of Inclusion London, who himself is a wheelchair-user who lives on the sixth floor of a high-rise building, said the government had “gone back on its word”, and he urged it to reconsider its position and “truly honour the Grenfell inquiry recommendations”.

He said: “Instead of introducing real PEEPs, they have proposed fire risk assessments for high-rise blocks and misleadingly rebranded them as ‘residential PEEPs’.  

“This is not only a misrepresentation of the original recommendations but also an insult to those who lost their lives at Grenfell and to all disabled people still waiting for meaningful action.” 

He said PEEPs were “an essential safeguard for disabled people, particularly those living in high-rise buildings” and would ensure that those who face barriers to evacuation are not left behind in emergencies. 

He said: “The lack of PEEPs continues to put disabled residents at an unacceptable and preventable risk.”

Gabsi said London Fire Brigade “fully support the implementation of PEEPs, recognising their critical role in ensuring safety during emergencies. 

“Despite this, it seems that the interests of private businesses, landlords, and financial considerations continue to be prioritised over the lives of disabled people.

“Disabled people have the right to feel safe in their homes. A genuine PEEP is not a privilege, it is a necessity. Evidence has shown that PEEPs are practical, safe, and proportionate. 

“Ignoring this evidence not only undermines public trust but also perpetuates the systemic neglect of disabled people’s safety.”

Disability Rights UK (DR UK), which first highlighted the government’s plans this week, said the new government had “gone back on its word”.

In a speech in September, in response to the inquiry’s final report, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said the government was “addressing the recommendation from [the] first report to introduce a new Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan policy for anyone whose ability to evacuate could be compromised”.

DR UK said the fire risk assessments that will now be carried out would be “nowhere near a PEEP” and that calling them residential PEEPs was just “adding insult to injury”.

It added: “Shockingly, the new Labour government is now rejecting the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations on PEEPs, just as the previous Conservative government did, despite evidence that they are practical, safe, and proportionate.

“We are dismayed that the government has so quickly turned its back on our community. 

“Once again, the interests of private businesses and public organisations have been prioritised over people’s lives.

“All disabled residents in all residential blocks should be given the right to a PEEP if they need support and adjustments to leave the block in the event of a fire. 

“This is what needs to be done if disabled lives are to be equally valued.”

Caroline Collier, from Inclusion Barnet’s Campaign for Disability Justice, said: “We all need to be safe in our homes.  

“Disabled residents in all residential blocks should have a clear entitlement to a personal emergency evacuation plan, which is not the same thing as the ‘residential PEEP’ proposed. 

“The Campaign for Disability Justice calls for respect for disabled people.  

“That includes honest conversations, and being clear about what is truly needed to properly implement the learnings from the Grenfell tragedy.  

“It is also completely unacceptable that a cost barrier should be put in people’s way by requiring a financial contribution.  

“The government needs to look again at this, and do better.”  

The Home Office was not able to comment on the PEEP concerns by noon today (Thursday).

The government will now lay regulations in parliament to deliver its PEEPs policy, and engage with disability and other organisations on supporting guidance that will sit alongside the regulations.

Credit for this article goes to the Disability News Service