Rachel Reeves has said the government will not “renege” on building safety regulation, as new figures show dozens of high-rise towers are on hold due to ‘gateway 2’ checks.

The chancellor, following a major economic speech yesterday, was asked whether the government’s focus on loosening rules such as planning approvals to boost economic growth could put safety at risk, given the Grenfell Inquiry found deregulation was a factor in the 2017 tragedy.