Grenfell: Insulation company accused of trying to ‘wriggle out of their responsibilities’
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has recently expressed his relief that more companies are cutting their contracts with Kingspan as he blames the firm for giving capitalism ‘a bad name’.
Last week, Ulster’s Rugby became the latest team to announce they will be terminating their sponsorship deal with Kingspan, an Irish-based insulation company whose products were used in Grenfell towers, a West London tower block which burned down in 2017 and killed over 70 people.
Since the tragedy occurred, ministers and various housing organisations have pledged to use building materials that are far less flammable to avoid anything like it ever happening again.
However, Kingspan has long said that in K15 insulation product made up only 5% of the insulation in the tower block and was used without its recommendation. The organisation has also claimed that the exterior cladding, which it did not manufacture, was deemed by the inquiry to be the ‘principal reason’ for how quickly the fire spread.
But Michael Gove told BBC Northern Ireland that Kingspan have continuously ‘evaded their responsibilities’.
‘We know that there are developers, people who were actually responsible for buildings, who have contributed (to remediation works) and I’m grateful to them and grateful to builders and developers across the United Kingdom for making a contribution.’ Mr Gove said. ‘But Kingspan continue, I’m afraid, to evade their responsibilities.’
Mr Gove added: ‘And the idea that they can say that their products were used inappropriately, I’m afraid, is part of a pattern of behaviour on their part where they will not fully acknowledge their responsibility to the victims of this tragedy.’
In response to this, a spokesperson for Kingspan said: ‘Our K15 product continues to be safely used in multiple systems across the UK in compliance with building regulations and can be safely retained in appropriate cladding systems in line with guidance sponsored by the UK government.
‘What is now urgently required is meaningful engagement with product manufacturers to quickly establish an appropriate industry-wide funding mechanism that can be implemented, so homeowners can be safe in their homes.’
The organisation has claimed they have been campaigning for this since February 2022.
Image: hirsutism
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