People are living in “utter fear” for their safety almost two years after the Grenfell tragedy because their homes are still covered with dangerous cladding, an MP has warned.
Labour's Rushanara Ali said the Government will have "blood on its hands" unless it acts now to prevent another disaster from happening.
The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow asked Housing minister Kit Malthouse to agree to a timeline to remove all dangerous cladding from high-rise buildings in a debate over privately-owned blocks.
The Opposition last month warned 40,000 people are still "trapped" in privately-owned blocks wrapped in Grenfell-style aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding.
The fire which destroyed the west London tower block claimed 72 lives in June 2017.
Speaking in the Commons, Ms Ali said: "This issue is a matter of life and death for thousands of people up and down the country, and for many in my constituency. It needs urgent action.
"After Grenfell, the Prime Minister said her Government would do whatever it takes to keep our people safe.
"Two years on, her Government has completely failed to honour that commitment, even when people are living in utter fear and despair for their safety and their families' safety, and are trapped in these properties without any end in sight.
"In fact, I would go as far as saying if one more fatality like Grenfell in a block with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding because of this Government's failure to act, then this Government is absolutely liable and it will have blood on its hands if it doesn't take action."
Responding for the Government, Mr Malthouse said he has ordered a review to make sure that interim safety measures, like the use of fire wardens, is being adhered to before full remedial works can be carried out at the 267 private-sector high-rise flats with "unsafe cladding".
He added: "We want to reassure ourselves that across those buildings that haven't been remediated yet that those interim measures are in place to reassure people for the moment while we wait for works to take place.
"I do acknowledge that this is not an ideal situation. We want to get the remediation done as quickly as possible, but whatever the solution that is found for these buildings, we have to recognise that these are often difficult constructions jobs."
Earlier, Labour MP for Cardiff North Anna McMorrin accused the Government of being too slow to deal with the after-effects of Grenfell, adding: "If this had happened in the minister's own backyard or perhaps in a safe seat in the south east of England then perhaps there would have been a very immediate response."
Mr Malthouse rejected this accusation.
He added: "I would gently point out that the Grenfell Tower was in my London Assembly constituency where I served that community and the wider community for eight years, and the idea that there would be any lack of commitment, from my point of view, is frankly for the birds."
MORE ABOUT