Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill

Baroness Dacres of Lewisham Excerpts

2nd reading & Report stage & 3rd reading & Committee negatived
Tuesday 14th April 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Dacres of Lewisham (Lab)]

My Lords, I rise to speak in support of the Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill, a piece of legislation that carries with it profound responsibility, as my noble friend Lord Roe of West Wickham said.

The tragedy at Grenfell Tower in June 2017, in which 72 lives were lost, remains one of the darkest moments in our recent history. It is a loss that is measured not only in numbers but in the absence of loved ones, in the silence left behind, and in the enduring grief carried by families and the wider community.

Before I continue, I just want to thank my noble friend Lord Roe for his contribution and for sharing his experience and his memory. His words today really left a mark on me, so I thank him for sharing that and for driving home the importance of this memorial and the lessons and changes that need to be made as a result of this devastating event. We need to make sure that we move forward so that there is change, and that it is long lasting.

The Bill comes before us as a poignant time. Next year will mark a decade since this tragedy. Ten years on and the pain remains, the memory endures and the responsibility to honour those who were lost is undiminished. As my noble friend the Minister said earlier, in legislative terms this is a modest Bill. It does not seek to resolve the many complex issues that arose from this tragedy, nor does it replace the ongoing work of justice, accountability and reform.

But what it does do is essential. It enables the creation of a permanent memorial: a place of remembrance, a place of reflection and a place that ensures that those who lost their lives are never forgotten. That matters, because memory is not passive. It shapes how we honour the past and how we act in the future. The importance of this memorial lies not only in what it represents but in how it is created. It must be led by the voices of the bereaved, the survivors and the community. Their experience, loss and resilience must sit at the heart of this process. This is not simply about building a structure; it is about creating a space that carries meaning, dignity and truth.

While the Bill is focused on funding, it carries the weight of wider moral justice. It is part of our collective duty to remember, to honour and to ensure that the legacy of Grenfell leads to lasting change. A permanent memorial will serve not only as a tribute to those we lost but as a place for future generations to understand the consequences of failure, including the failure to listen to a community and to act on their worries and concerns, as well as the importance of accountability, safety and humanity in public life.

As I said, remembrance must never be passive. It must shape how we act. This Bill gives us the means to do what should always have been done: to create something lasting, respectful and worthy of those whose lives were taken. We cannot undo the past, but we can honour it with purpose and ensure that it is never forgotten. I support the Bill.