What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Tory minister Sajid Javid refused four times to confirm the government would pay to retrofit sprinklers in tower blocks at risk of fire.

The Communities Secretary tied himself in knots on the BBC's Andrew Marr show to avoid committing to spending cash, despite studies showing it would save lives in a fire.

Councils have complained requests for funding had been refused because planned work was deemed "additional rather than essential" by Javid's department.

Put on the spot, Javid would only say the government would "provide them the capacity to access those funds" and give them the "support they need to make sure it's done."

Asked directly if he would provide "any money for this at all", he said: "If a local authority cannot afford it then we will work with them and provide them with the flexibilities they need to do that. They shouldn't take any short cuts with the work."

(Image: PA)

Asked to confirm that meant providing money, he said: "We've said we'd work with them."

Marr said: "That's not quite answering my question, will you provide more money for sprinklers if they ask you to do so?"

Javid said: "Will will provide them with the capacity to access those funds."

Many councils have complained that funding the retrofitting of sprinklers would leave them with less money to invest in new council homes.

Jane Urquhart, who holds the housing portfolio on Nottingham City Council told the BBC earlier this month: "We found that really difficult to understand given that in the refurbishment of the Houses of Parliament sprinklers are considered essential, so we thought it was quite incredible that they were essential for the Houses of Parliament but not essential for residents of high-rises."

(Image: PA)

In June, Chancellor Philip Hammond appeared to quibble over whether sprinklers saved lives this morning, insisting that should be decided by “technical experts.”

He told the BBC it wouldn’t be right for him to say whether sprinklers should be fitted in tower blocks and schools until after the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.

He said: “If the conclusion of a proper technical evaluation is that that is the best way to deal with the problem then of course.

“But my understanding - and again I’m not an expert - but my understanding is that the best expert advice is that retrofitting sprinklers may not always be the best technical way of ensuring fire safety in a building.”

The Fire Brigades Union say there has never been a death from fire in the UK in a building where sprinklers had been fitted.