Queen’s Speech: government commits to implementing Grenfell Inquiry recommendations as housing pledges unveiled

The Queen’s Speech also included a number of other housing commitments initially trailed in the Conservative Party’s manifesto, including the renewal of the Affordable Homes Programme, bringing forward the Social Housing White Paper and the introduction of First Homes – new homes for local people and key workers that will be sold 30% below market price.

However, the shared ownership Right to Buy, which was first trailed by Mr Jenrick in October last year at the Conservative Party conference, did not appear in the document. The policy was met with a wave of criticism from the social housing sector following its announcement also failed to appear in the party’s manifesto.

The new fire safety bill, which included implementing the Grenfell Inquiry recommendations, also pledged to “put beyond doubt” that the Fire Safety Order will require building owners and managers of residential blocks to fully consider and mitigate the risk of external wall systems and fire doors.

In a note from the government following the speech, the government said it would strengthen enforcement powers to hold building owners and managers to account and clarify that the Fire Safety Order covers external walls and fire doors.

The bill also provides a transitional period for building owners, managers and fire services to put in place the infrastructure for these changes.

The building safety bill, which appeared in the last Queen’s Speech in October, was included again this time around. The bill includes plans for a new building safety regulator that would have powers to enforce criminal sanctions and a new “safety framework for high-rise residential buildings”.

A number of housing manifesto pledges were confirmed in the document published alongside the speech, including the renewal of the Affordable Homes Programme.

The Affordable Homes Programme was launched by former chancellor Philip Hammond in 2016. He gave £9bn to deliver at least 250,000 affordable or shared ownership homes by 2022.

The report published alongside the speech stated that the renewal of the programme will allow for the “construction of hundreds of thousands of new homes for a range of people in different places” and would “prevent people from falling into homelessness”.

The government has also pledged to bring forward a Social Housing White Paper to set out further measures to empower tenants, support the continued supply of social homes and improve regulation.

Other manifesto commitments included in the Queen’s Speech were the introduction of a new reformed shared ownership, a Planning White Paper to reform and speed up the planning process, and the pledge to deliver one million homes in the next parliament.

There was also a commitment to creating a single £10bn Housing Infrastructure Fund that would be used to provide schools, roads and GP surgeries to support new developments.

Responding to the policies on Twitter, Mr Jenrick said: “This is a Queen’s Speech that delivers for home-buyers [and] renters and will make sure that people are safe in their homes.”

Responding to the announcements, Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “We know that housing was a top issue for voters this election, with one in seven people directly hit by the housing crisis last year. The government’s commitment to renewing the Affordable Homes Programme is therefore welcome news.

“Funding certainty for homes for social rent will be crucial for enabling housing associations to continue building the homes the country needs.

“It is also good to see building safety make the new government’s agenda. This complex and extensive programme of work will greatly benefit from renewed strategic leadership from government.

“We look forward to working with the government on the Social Housing White Paper, to build on the work that housing associations have already started, and protect the rights of social housing residents.”