Residential Homes (Fire Precautions) (Hansard, 13 November 1980)

§ 11. Mr. Sainsbury
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the code of guidance on fire precautions in residential homes for the elderly is to be issued.

§ Mr. Brittan
Interdepartmental consultations are taking place on a draft guide produced by the Home Office. These should be complete soon, and within the next few months my right hon. Friend will invite comments from fire service and social service interests. When these have been considered and taken into account the guide will be published, but I cannot yet predict when that will be.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
Does my hon. and learned Friend recall telling me and the House some months ago that the issue of such a guide was a vital first step towards improving fire precautions in residential homes for the elderly? In the light of that, does he not agree that the process of consultation appears to be taking an interminable time?

§ Mr. Brittan
I agree that it is important. The exact requirements are complicated. I am pleased that we are already at the stage of interdepartmental consultations and that it will be possible in a comparatively short time to invite comments from fire service and social service interests. We wish to go faster, but we think that this is the right approach.

§ Mr. Heffer
Is not the whole position now complicated because the Government are taking a stupid attitude in relation to the firemen's pay? Is it not time that the Government—

Hon. Members
No.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman is stretching the question a long way. It is clearly about fire precautions in residential homes for the elderly.

§ Mr. Heffer
Is not the Minister aware that the position of elderly people in residential homes is made much worse because of the Government's attitude to-towards firemen and their pay? Will not the Government now decide to carry out the decisions of previous Governments in relation to the agreement made three years ago with the firemen?

§ Mr. Brittan
I do not believe that the code of guidance, which is the subject of this question, is in any way affected by the question of firemen's pay. I do not believe that the hon. Gentleman thinks that either.