HC Deb 23 July 1979 vol 971 cc27-8W
Mr. Moyle

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires occurred in old people's homes, both privately owned and local authority owned, in each of the last five years; how many resulted in fatalities; and how many fatalities occurred on each such occasion.

Mr. Brittan,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 July 1979], gave the following answer:

The information available is given in the following table; fires in privately owned homes and local authority owned homes are not classified separately.

FIRES IN OLD PERSONS' HOMES ATTENDED BY LOCAL AUTHORITY FIRE BRIGADES
United Kingdom Number of fires
Number of fires resulting in death
Year Total fires Total 1 death 2 or more deaths
1972

.. 7 7
1973 .. 3 3
1974 248 6 5 1*
1975 .. .. .. ..
1976 345 2 2
1977 380† 2‡ 1‡
.. Not available.
* The fire at Fairfield Home, Nottinghamshire which caused 18 deaths.
† Includes an estimate for the period of the fire service strike when not all fires were reported in detail.
‡ Fires reported on in detail only. The numbers of deaths published in United Kingdom Fire Statistics 1977 include estimates for the period of the fire service strike, when not all fires were reported in detail, and show 13, not 12, deaths resulting from fires in old persons' homes.
§ The fire at Wensley Lodge Home, Humberside, which caused 11 deaths.