The Prime Minister has today appointed Thouria Istephan and Benita Mehra to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry panel. The appointment of the panel members comes ahead of the commencement of Phase 2 hearings on 27 January.
Ms Istephan, a widely respected partner at Foster + Partners architectural practice, and Ms Mehra, a highly experienced chartered engineer, will start work immediately.
They will sit for the duration of the Inquiry alongside the Chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is now entering a pivotal stage, expanding its focus from the night of the tragedy to consider important wider issues around the refurbishment and management of the Tower.
Today's appointments will bring a rich diversity of expertise and the relevant experience required given the breadth and complexity of the next phase of the Inquiry.
It is important the Inquiry thoroughly investigate what happened that awful night and ensure lessons are learned so that such a terrible tragedy never happens again.
This Government's commitment to uncovering the truth is absolute.
The letters exchanged between the Prime Minister and the Chair of the Inquiry about the appointments have been published on GOV.UK.
