§ Mr. Wardasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the statement by the Chief Fire Officer of Dublin that most of the deaths in the Stardust club fire were as a result of burns and asphyxiation from the ceiling and seats, he will review the use of furnishing materials in public buildings in the United Kingdom which are known to give off toxic fumes during fire.
§ Mr. MayhewAlthough fire prevention officers already take account of the fire risks of furnishing materials when making their inspections of public buildings, control of the use of such materials depends in the first instance on the development of appropriate standards and methods of test. In November 1978 a technical sub-committee of the Central Fire Brigades' Advisory Councils for England and Wales and for Scotland published a report on the fire risks of new materials, which recommended that first priority should be given to improving the fire resistance of upholstered furniture. Since then cigarette and match tests have been developed and these provided the basis for the Upholstered Furniture (Safety) Regulations 1980, which apply to most new domestic upholstered seating furniture. Tests for larger ignition sources are currently being developed under a programme of activity being undertaken jointly by Government Departments and the British Standards Institution.