4. 90-second Statements

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:17 pm on 13 June 2018.

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Photo of Ann Jones Ann Jones Labour 3:17, 13 June 2018

Diolch, Llywydd. Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower that claimed the lives of 72 people, which remains the largest number of deaths from a single fire in living history. Behind each of those 72 deaths, there are families that have been broken and devastated, the immediate community of Grenfell Tower has been torn apart, and neighbouring communities deal with the anxiety and the fears post Grenfell Tower. Emergency service workers, too, are not immune from dealing with the aftermath of what they witnessed that day.

Today, as we did 12 months ago, we are able to stand with that community of Grenfell Tower to remember those who died and to offer our solidarity and our support to those who are still greatly affected by that incident. As we move forward, we must be ever thankful for the response from across the UK, including from many from Wales—many, many ordinary people who sought to help in those immediate days after the fire—and of those who are still in that community, offering support and help, be it the emergency services, be it the public sector or third sector, communities or just ordinary people who feel moved to help and support Grenfell. The greatest tribute we can pay to those 72 people who lost their lives that day is to provide a legacy by striving to work to ensure we take whatever steps we can to avoid similar incidents occurring. It's the least we can do to honour their memory, and we will not forget them.