Government pauses debarment investigations into firms named in Grenfell Tower Inquiry

The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation following the Grenfell Tower tragedy on 14 June 2017, with a dedicated team of 180 officers and staff working to identify any offences and those responsible. 

The Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service informed the Cabinet Office that continuing the debarment investigations could unintentionally prejudice the criminal investigation and any future criminal proceedings. 

In a press release issued by the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Government said: "To ensure the Metropolitan Police's criminal investigation and any future proceedings remain the priority, the Cabinet Office has paused its separate, non-criminal debarment investigations at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police.

"This decision has been made to safeguard the integrity of the Metropolitan Police's criminal investigation."

Debarment investigations into the seven organisations, under new powers of the Procurement Act 2023, were announced immediately after the Act came into force in February.

The Act allows the Government to investigate suppliers and, if certain grounds are met, add them to a published debarment list.

Public sector organisations covered by the Act must have regard to this list when carrying out new procurements that are covered by the Act's remit, and can rely on this list to exclude a supplier where appropriate.

When a supplier is added to the debarment list on a mandatory ground, they must be excluded from all procurement activity within scope of the Act, except in very limited circumstances.

If an organisation is convicted of a criminal offence that is a mandatory exclusion ground under the Act.

Adam Carey