§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what further regulations have been, or will be, issued to improve fire precautions in hotels and similar buildings.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD WINDLESHAM)My Lords, the Fire Precautions Bill, which was introduced in another place on November 4, is designed to improve the fire precautions in hotels and other residential establishments as well as in places of public amusement and resort.
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is satisfied that this will prevent the recurrence of the sort of fires that have taken place, including the one at Saffron Walden in Essex?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, it is because of the defects in the existing legislation, particularly as regards hotels and places of public amusement, that this Bill has been introduced.
LORD FARINGDONMy Lords, is the noble Lord satisfied that there is an adequate supply of inspectors to see whether the precautions are in fact being carried out?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, the number of inspectors is, of course, extremely important. The Bill has been introduced only recently in another place. I understand that it is going into Committee in another place to-morrow and that it will be before us fairly shortly. I think that this is the sort of point that 521 we might take up and debate further when the Bill is before us.
LORD INGLEWOODMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether these precautions also extend to accidents to trees in Squares, which are places of public amusement and resort?