Grenfell Inquiry to examine authorities' response and 'adequacy' of fire regulations

• Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Paul Brand

The inquiry into the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower will focus on the cause of the fire and the actions of the authorities in the build-up to the blaze, the government has announced.

Although all of the terms suggested by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who is chairing the inquiry, have been approved, the announcement will disappoint those who wanted a broader inquiry that delved more generally into social housing.

Prime Minister Theresa May said that while such wider social concerns will not form part of the inquiry she was "determined" they would not be left "unanswered".

Survivors and campaigners had pressed for systemic issues underlying the cause of the June 14 blaze in which at least 80 were lost their lives to be examined.

The inquiry will focus on:

• The cause and spread of the fire

• The design, construction and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower

• The scope and adequacy of the relevant regulations relating to high-rise buildings

• Whether the relevant legislation and guidance were complied with in the case of Grenfell Tower

• The actions of the local authority and other bodies before the tragedy

• The response of the London Fire Brigade to the fire and the response of central and local government in the aftermath

Mrs May said: "The terms of reference set out by Sir Martin address crucial issues such as the cause of the fire and the adequacy of building and fire regulations which will allow the inquiry to get to the truth of what happened and learn the lessons to stop a similar catastrophe happening in the future.

"I am determined that the broader questions raised by this fire – including around social housing - are not left unanswered.

"We are taking action with the housing minister meeting social housing tenants to discuss the challenges they face and we will be setting out further proposals in due course."

In his letter recommending the scope of the inquiry Sir Martin identified questions on social housing policy, but concluded that they should not be included.

Aside from the inquiry, the government has committed Alok Sharma, the housing minister, to conduct a "listening exercise", aimed at dealing with the wider policy issues.

Mr Sharma echoed the prime minister's words that the wider policy issues were a "priority".

"That is why I will be conducting a listening exercise across the country, talking to social housing tenants on issues where social housing policy has worked, and where it hasn't worked," he said.

"Subject to the outcome of that we will then come out with proposals in the coming months to deal with the issues that have been identified."

But Emma Dent Coad, the Labour MP who represents the west London neighbourhood, said the move was "precisely what we feared".

"We were told 'no stone would be unturned' but instead are being presented with a technical assessment which will not get to the heart of the problem: what effects, if any, the lack of investment into social housing had on the refurbishment project," she said.

"The government has delegated this responsibility to an in-house team.

"We have no confidence whatever in the ability of Alok Sharma and a few politically compromised individuals to take on the task of answering this most important question."

Labour's shadow housing secretary John Healey called the decision to exclude housing policy from the inquiry "deeply unsatisfactory."

With the terms of reference announced, the inquiry has officially begun. It will hold its first hearing on September 14, with an initial report by Easter.