Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, Michael Gove has written to to the chairman of the Kingspan Group, Gene Murtagh, inviting him for talks with government officials in a letter dated 23 March.

The letter, which Gove posted on Twitter, said:

“I have long argued that those who manufactured flammable products and sold them have a moral and financial imperative to recognise their role in the proliferation of unsafe buildings. The testimony at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry uncovered shameful practices and an abhorrent culture of disregard for the safety of residents in their homes. I was appalled by the evidence heard by the Inquiry about the reckless and deceptive behaviour within your company.

“I recently read in the Observer that you believe Kingspan should pay where cladding products have been inappropriately used on buildings. If the report was accurate, this acknowledgement is a positive step. I sincerely hope it is a first step only, in what should be a comprehensive package of financial support from Kingspan and other construction product manufacturers. Your record trading profit of £382.8m will, I presume, help to fund this commitment.

“I invite you to meet my officials to discuss how you propose to scope, identify, and pay for remediation works. This would go some way to restoring confidence in the sector in the way that we have recently seen from developers.

“My department will continue to be driven solely by our commitment to protect people in their homes: people who bought or rented homes in good faith, whose safety continues to be threatened by your products and who deserve better from the companies that have exploited their basic need for a home. Those companies who do not share our commitment to righting the wrongs of the past must expect to face commercial consequences.”