Mr. Ronald W. Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, following the 10 deaths in the recent fire in Woolworth's of Manchester, what steps he proposes to take to review the fire regulations applicable to departmental stores and places of entertainment when furniture in those premises contains polyurethane foam.
§ Mr. BrittanThe attention of chief fire officers has already been drawn, in a report circulated in November 1978, to the fire risk of furniture containing polyurethane foam. In the case of premises falling within classes of use already designated under the Fire Precautions Act 1971, such as department stores, the fire authority is entitled to have regard to the existence of stocks of such furniture in satisfying itself, before issuing a fire certificate, that there is no impediment to the safe and effective use of the means of escape from the premises. As regards places of entertainment, equivalent safeguards can be imposed by way of licensing conditions.