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Massive fire at high rise flats in London


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10 minutes ago, Ross. said:

I assume the law is different in England when compared to Scotland as far as private landlords go? I had to have fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms fitted along with a few other checks carried out and have to have them tested annually before I am allowed to let out the flat I have.

It is different. Not sure how far it goes but basic alarms like you say and Heat detectors have all to be in place in any rented property in Scotland. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms need to be hardwired whereas in England a simple battery smoke alarm is sufficient. I always thought these requirements were slightly over the top but after seeing how devastating this fire has been it's clear it is necessary and a good idea. 

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My flat has a fire alarm. It doesn't work mind, even with new batteries. I don't have a carbon monoxide alarm, but luckily there's no gas (the oven is electric and there's no heating).

 

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Scotland is generally the guinea pig for changes to the private rented housing sector. A mains-wired, interlinked smoke and heat detection system has been the requirement in every rental property for a while now and carbon monoxide (battery ones) alarms mounted in any room with gas. 

Not sure any of these would be of use if you're at the top of a tower block and the only way in and out is a ball of smoke and fire. 

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10 minutes ago, KnightswoodBear said:

***Disclaimer:  I don't want anyone thinking I'm sticking up for the hatchet faced c**t***

The PM is stuck in a no win situation here.  Don't go and she looks like a c**t.  Go and speak to the local residents, and she'll get torn to bits and look like a c**t.  Go but don't speak to any of the proles, she'll look like a c**t.

Luckily, we all know she's a c**t.

You are absolutely right, It's obviously a context that none of us will probably ever end up in but I'm sure going along and be seen to be listening, meet some firefighters, residents and ambulance privately or publcally in order to try to right some of the wrongs. Imo it is preferable to her current strategy from the election and beyond to avoid speaking to people. It is just letting people rumble on about multiple institutional failings and the Conservatives  voting record.

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A fine democratic country this. Health minister and housing minister getting to give an un-televised briefing because they haven't sorted out a government yet.

 

Quote

Ministerial briefing for MPs about the Grenfell Tower fire

Andrew Sparrow 

Andrew Sparrow

Nick Hurd, the fire minister, and Alok Sharma, the housing minister, are starting a briefing for MPs at Westminster.

It is taking place in the Westminster Hall mini-chamber, but it is not a proceeding of parliament, because the Commons is not sitting yet. It is technically a Home Office briefing. It is not being televised, and parliamentary privilege does not apply.

I’m in the room to cover it. Hurd is just beginning. He says it is an appalling tragedy, but that we do not know yet how many people will have been killed. He praises the emergency services and people in the community who have rallied around to help.

He says so far 17 people have been confirmed dead. Another 35 people are in hospital.

The fire is now considered to be under control, he says.

 

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1 hour ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

Im just sending my thoughts today.  I don't do prayers stuff so if anybody has any spare prayers that their not using, could they send them on my behalf please?  Im happy to forward any spare thoughts in exchange in case anybody has used up all their thoughts for today.

Sorry, most of my thoughts were used up deciding to get up or not. Any remaining will soon be applied to which pub to go to.

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59 minutes ago, Jute said:

In Scotland the insulation and cladding on high rise buildings has to be non combustible but in England only limited combustibility. Unbelievable that anyone could consider it okay to cover a high rise building in a substance that could burn. 

Can't help feeling that if rich folk lived in high rise with 1 stairwell the law may have been different. 

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1 hour ago, Jute said:

In Scotland the insulation and cladding on high rise buildings has to be non combustible but in England only limited combustibility. Unbelievable that anyone could consider it okay to cover a high rise building in a substance that could burn. 

What!?! That's fucking ridiculous! 

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I have a feeling that a lot of contractors look at public sector and government contracts as a soft touch and that local government are too incompetent to do anything about it.  


I've had dealings with one particular Scottish council when I was asked to carry out a niche survey, and their representative genuinely said "name your price". I gave her a figure and she just agreed to it there and then, contract arriving a couple of days later. I was rather shocked with the ease of it, albeit rather happy that I was quids in.
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6 minutes ago, Hedgecutter said:


I've had dealings with one particular Scottish council when I was asked to carry out a niche survey, and their representative genuinely said "name your price". I gave her a figure and she just agreed to it there and then, contract arriving a couple of days later. I was rather shocked with the ease of it, albeit rather happy that I was quids in.

 

I've got a nice wee niche in my living room. Never knew I needed to get it audited. 

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I had a wee aerial photography business in Wales for a bit and was used to clients bitching over 50 quid. Handed in an £800 invoice for a day's work to a local government department and they didn't raise an eyebrow.

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Local Authorities are largely fucking idiots at Senior Management level when it comes to paying for external services. We're paying Ernst & Young several hundred grand to identify savings :lol: 

Software providers rip the pish in tremendous fashion. In one of my old jobs, my department was beholden to a company from the midlands who provided a hopelessly unreliable update which took months to sort out. We still had to pay £2000 a time for their rep to fly up for a couple of days business class and stay in the most expensive hotel in Dundee, car hires etc. Absolutely bonkers. 

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Local Authorities are largely fucking idiots at Senior Management level when it comes to paying for external services. We're paying Ernst & Young several hundred grand to identify savings [emoji38] 
Software providers rip the pish in tremendous fashion. In one of my old jobs, my department was beholden to a company from the midlands who provided a hopelessly unreliable update which took months to sort out. We still had to pay £2000 a time for their rep to fly up for a couple of days business class and stay in the most expensive hotel in Dundee, car hires etc. Absolutely bonkers. 


The great charade of consultancy. Corruption incorporated.
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1 minute ago, pandarilla said:

 


The great charade of consultancy. Corruption incorporated.

 

Christ, South Ayrshire Council called in consultants every time someone did a smelly shit in the bogs.

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I really don't think it's a time for political point scoring at least until some kind of preliminary enquiry has been completed.
Right now all we should be concerned with is doing what we can to help the victims of this awful event.
If this is coming across as an attempt to assume some kind of moral high ground, then so be it.


You better believe this is political.

You can have sympathy for Theresa may if you like but she's at the top of the tree. Her reaction to this has already been telling.

The housing situation in the country is horrendous, and this especially true in London.

This tragedy was magnified massively because the tenants were poor. It simply wouldn't have happened in a richer area.

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The housing situation in the country is horrendous, and this especially true in London.


We seriously need to control the number of secondary homes and let properties.
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