Photo taken on June 16, 2017 shows a view of Grenfell Tower after the fire in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Ray Tang)
LONDON, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Tests on high-rise homes in Britain have revealed some have been fitting with combustible cladding, prime minister Theresa May said Thursday.
May revealed the findings during a debate in the House of Commons about the horrific fire that spread through Grenfell Tower in West London.
The blaze at Grenfell Tower left 79 people dead or missing presumed dead, including a number of whole families who perished.
The prime minister said a criminal investigation is already under way by the London Metropolitan Police and there will be nowhere to hide for any guilty parties, adding: "No stone will be left unturned."
May also revealed that the police and fire authorities in London will announce within 48 hours whether the cladding fitted to Grenfell Tower as part of a facelift a year ago was combustible.
She also said she expects an independent public inquiry she has ordered to publish an interim report as soon as possible.
May said all social landlords across Britain have been instructed to carry out fire safety checks on tower blocks and ensure the appropriate safety and response measures are in place.
The government has arranged to test cladding in all relevant tower blocks, with tests being carried out at the rate of 100 buildings a day.
May said she was informed Thursday morning that a number of tests have come back, saying some flats do have combustible cladding, but she has did not identify the locations of those buildings.
The relevant local authorities and local fire services have been informed, and are taking all possible steps to ensure buildings are safe and to inform affected residents.
May assured MPs that buildings will be made safe and no one will be forced to live in homes that are not safe.
The chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea Council Nicholas Holgate had resigned, with calls during the debate in parliament Thursday calling on the leader of the council Nicholas Paget-Brown to also quit.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said concerns of residents about the safety of Grenfell Tower had been ignored, claiming that there was a pattern of the views of working-class people not taken seriously, with their concerns dismissed by those in power.
"The Grenfell Tower residents and North Kensington community deserve answers and thousands and thousands of people living in tower blocks around the country need very urgent reassurance," said Corbyn.
The sombre mood in the Commons, on its first full day of business following the state opening ceremony Wednesday, continued with a statement about the recent terrorist attacks in London and Manchester.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said that during a summer like no other, terror and hate had been brought to the streets of Britain.
"We are entering a new phase of terrorism," said Rudd, citing the attacks in Manchester, Westminster Bridge and London Bridge as well as the far-right terrorist attack Monday outside Finsbury Park mosque.
Rudd said 36 people died and 150 injured in the attacks as she announced a review is to take place by a leading lawyer into how the recent attacks were handled.
