After 65 days of hearings Module 1 of this phase of the Inquiry concluded on Wednesday, at the end of two days of evidence from the final expert witness, architect Paul Hyett.
Yesterday Module 2 started with opening statements. The third Inquiry panel member, Ali Akbor, took part for the first time via video link.
Richard Millett, the Inquiry's Lead Counsel, revealed that some former employees of Arconic were still attempting to avoid giving evidence in person, citing French law. They have however given written statements, and Millett indicated that if ongoing discussions didn't resolve this issue they could be 'empty chaired'. Part of the six days scheduled in January for their testimony could be devoted to a presentation of the evidence the Inquiry already has, and the questions the Inquiry would have invited them to respond to.
More interestingly still, Millett revealed that just last Thursday solicitors for Kingspan, the manufacturers of the combustible insulation that was substituted on parts the outside of Grenfell Tower had written to the Inquiry :
(...) attaching a letter directly from Kingspan to the BRE saying that they were now withdrawing a number of their BS 8414 test reports and associated BR 135 reports. Kingspan’s letter to the BRE said in terms that the very first test carried out on Kooltherm K15 in 2005 was not representative of the K15 product which had been sold by them from 2006 onwards. That is to say the K15 tested in 2005 was essentially a different product to what was being sold after 2006.
It was also confirmed that the K15 product used in two further BS 8414 tests in 2014 was not representative of the K15 product then on the market. The letter says that this was prompted by discoveries of irregularities relating to the testing systems, the systems tested, which had in turn been prompted by requests from this Inquiry.
This is actually a big deal. Kingspan are market leaders in the supply of insulation products and these now withdrawn test certificates were a significant part of the basis on which these products have been sold and used on thousands of buildings in the UK. Peter Apps for Inside Housing (archived):
Kingspan withdraws insulation fire test admitting it is 'not representative' of product on market for 15 years
The Inquiry then heard an opening statement from BSRs (Bereaved Survivors and Residents) Team 1. Although written down this comes across as rather technical and dry (here is
a transcript of it), it was a pretty brutal takedown of the way materials manufacturers influenced changes in the regulatory regime which permitted new 'routes to compliance', gamed and rigged fire test results to obtain fire ratings and certificates, and then misrepresented those ratings and test results to sell their combustible products.
Peter Apps on this opening statement
here, and specifically about Arconic
here. Inside Housing story about it archived here
Grenfell cladding and insulation firms engaged in 'sinister' attempts to undermine regulations, inquiry hears
Later, amongst others, there were opening statements from manufacturers Arconic, Celotex, and Kingspan. In addition to weasel words from all three, the first two continued the circular firing squad strategy by vigorously denouncing other corporate core participants.
Full transcript of the days proceedings
here (pdf in usual annoying two column fomat).
amp.theguardian.com
