§ Mr. Emery(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the loss of life, and the injuries and damage caused, by the fire at Exeter City Hospital last night?
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Security (Dr. John Dunwoody)I regret to inform the House that a fire occurred at the Exeter City Hospital in the early morning of 13th February, 1970. It occurred in a male geriatric ward on the first floor of a two-storey block. The fire was discovered at 12.45 a.m., the alarm was given immediately and the fire brigade arrived at the hospital within four minutes. There were 13 patients in the ward. Seven patients were injured, four seriously, one of whom has since died. All the next of kin have been informed.
I wish to express my deepest sympathy to the relatives of the deceased and injured, and also to pay tribute to the efforts of the nursing staff and the local fire services. An investigation is at present being held at the hospital into the circumstances.
§ Mr. EmeryWhile I thank the hon. Gentleman for that Answer and wish to express my sympathy to the relatives of the man who lost his life, may I ask three questions? First, when the inquiry has reached conclusions, will they be made public? Secondly, since I gather that other parts of the hospital have had to be evacuated, has this had an effect on the general running of the hospital and are the patients who have been evacuated being properly cared for and so on? Thirdly, would the hon. Gentleman give an assurance, as this is the second fire 1598 in recent times in Exeter hospitals, that there is no cause for alarm? Is he aware that some people are concerned about this?
§ Dr. DunwoodyThe investigation to which I referred is at present being conducted locally. I must await the results of the investigation before I can say whether the conclusions will be made public. It is possible that there will also be a committee of inquiry of a more formal nature to look into this tragedy.
I understand that an adjacent ward, a lower ward, was evacuated at the time of the fire. However, I have not been told anything which would suggest that the hospital cannot cope with the patients in other parts of the hospital and continue its services as usual.
I think I can assure the hon. Gentleman that there need be no cause for alarm in the community. In the last year or two my Department has taken a number of measures to warn hospitals of possible fire hazards. We have heard from the South West Regional Hospital Board this morning that all the hospital groups in its area have conscientiously recently reviewed their arrangements in respect of fire precautions.
§ Mr. KirkAs this is one of a series of fires—the hon. Gentleman will recall the disaster in my constituency last Christmas—would the hon. Gentleman give an indication of when the Government's promised legislation on this subject will be produced? If the problem is, as one of his colleagues told me on 19th January, lack of parliamentary time, could not the Government drop something else and bring forward this urgent legislation?
§ Dr. DunwoodyQuestions relating to future legislation which involve other Departments are not for me to answer, but I assure the hon. Gentleman that note has been taken of his question.
§ Mr. CarlisleMay I, on behalf of my hon. Friends, express sympathy to the relatives of the deceased and to those who were injured?
Presumably, since a death has occurred, an inquest will now have to be held. Would the hon. Gentleman undertake to study carefully the outcome of it and satisfy himself, on the basis of the evidence that is given at the inquest, that 1599 all necessary fire precautions were taken on this occasion.
§ Dr. DunwoodyI will certainly closely study the evidence that is given at the inquest. I will also make it my business to find out later today the results of the investigation which is taking place this morning and to look closely at the report of any committee of inquiry that should he presented later.