A senior client on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment project admitted he never asked Studio E if it had experience of cladding a high-rise residential building before he recommended the architect’s appointment.

Mark Anderson of Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) was unable to tell the Grenfell Inquiry yesterday why he had not asked the question despite the inquiry barrister describing it as “obvious”. The inquiry also heard the question was raised by a resident.

Inquiry barrister Andrew Kinnier asked Anderson: “Why not? It’s an obvious question, isn’t it?”

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