PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (7 July 2017)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the powers, scope, responsibilities and accountability of the recovery taskforce appointed to run the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Asked by:
Mr Clive Betts (Labour)

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government made a statement on 5 July setting out that the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce will consider all aspects of the recovery operation, but will have a special focus on housing, regeneration and community engagement. The Recovery Taskforce will advise, support and challenge the Council, and will report to the Secretary of State directly.

The Taskforce is set up as a non-Statutory Intervention to work with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - following their request for support from central government - on the longer term recovery following the Grenfell Tower disaster. Commissioners, on the other hand, are appointed by the Secretary of State to exercise specific functions of an authority where he is satisfied that the authority is failing to comply with its Best Value Duty (Local Government Act 1999).

Answered by:
Lord Sharma (Conservative)
25 July 2017