“I’m an open book, so ask away.” Thouria Istephan, interim construction adviser, is smiling and looking relaxed as we talk in a small, anonymous meeting room, deep in the MHCLG building in Westminster. As a recording device is set up on the desk in front of her, she jokes that any transcription software might struggle with her Huddersfield accent. Actually, she laughs, she didn’t speak a word of English until she came to the UK when she was 10 years old, having been born in Iraq to a British mother and an Iraqi father.

Huddersfield is the place of her formative years, before spending her working life in London as an architect – 25 years at Foster + Partners, where she became a technical partner. Since 30 September last year her full focus has been on finding ways to make an impact fast in a role that that only lasts for one year, when she will hand over to a permanent successor. In February she published a statement to coincide with her completing five months in the interim role (or, as Istephan points out, “two and a half months really” given that she only works half weeks).

Clearly, Istephan has not had long to get to grips with the newly created advisory role focused on arguably the biggest challenge facing construction: building safety. As interim chief construction adviser, she provides “independent challenge, scrutiny and advice to the government on building safety and regulatory reform” – one of the key recommendations to come from the Grenfell Inquiry.