Dr. Morganasked the Home Secretary whether in connection with the recent amendment of the Business Premises Order substituting a new proviso for the last sentence of sub-paragraph (d) of paragraph (2) of Article 5, with respect 1391W to subsistence allowances for fire-watching, he will take steps to prevent local authorities ruling that numerous buildings or shops in several blocks, some separated by a street, are to be classed as one large building; and is he aware that in one district in London 54 shops or business premises have been classed as one large building so that reimbursement cannot then be claimed for the different managers resident above any one shop; thus depriving many fire-watchers of remuneration for compulsory duty outside normal hours of work?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI would refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Tottenham (Mr. Messer) on nth June. Where joint arrangements are made for a group of adjoining or neighbouring business premises, all those premises are treated as one for the purposes of the Business Premises Order. No person is entitled to remuneration for compulsory performance of fire prevention duties under that Order.