§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the number of fires known to have been caused by electrical faults; and what proportion of total fires this amounted to in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. BrittanInformation is not available in the form requested. The number of fires in occupied buildings in which electrical wiring or installation were reported as the source of ignition, is published annually in "Fire Statistics United Kingdom" (table 3 of the volume734W for 1978). The numbers of fires in occupied buildings in which electrical cookers, space heaters or other electrical appliances were reported as the source of ignition, and also published annually but the number of these fires which were caused by electrical faults is not known. Information on fires in certain outdoor locations attributed to electrical wiring, appliances or installations is also published annually (except for 1975) in the same publication (table 46 of the volume for 1978). These publications are in the Library of the House.