Theresa May demands 'national investigation' after number of fire threat tower blocks rises to 95
2 min read
Theresa May has said there needs to be a "major national investigation" after it emerged the number of tower blocks with Grenfell-style combustible cladding has risen to 95.
The latest total - 20 more than last night - was announced at a Cabinet meeting in Number 10 by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.
It means that every high rise building in England tested so far has been found to have combustible cladding on its exterior.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "95 buildings in 32 local authority areas have now failed the test and that remains a 100% failure rate.
"The Prime Minister said there would need to be a major national investigation into what went wrong when cladding that failed the tests have been fitted on buildings across the country over many decades."
It is thought that the combustible cladding was first fitted to high rise buildings in 2000.
Mrs May has already announced a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster, which has so far claimed the lives of 79 people - although that number is expected to rise.
Her spokesman said the wider investigation into dangerous cladding on other buildings could be take place in a "second phase" of the public inquiry.
"We need to establish the facts and establish what went wrong," the spokesman said. "These failings are concerning; that's why we need to have a major national investigation."
Downing Street revealed last week that as many as 600 tower blocks housing thousands of people could be covered in the combustible cladding.
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