HC Deb 09 April 1984 vol 58 cc62-5W
Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) deaths and (b) casualties there were in 1982 due to fire in singly-occupied dwellings, multiply-occupied dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses and multiply-occupied dwellings in other buildings, analysed by the most likely cause of fire;

(2) how many fires there were in 1982 in singly-occupied dwellings, multiply-occupied dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses and multiply-occupied dwellings in other buildings; and if he will analyse these data by the most likely cause of fire.

Mr. Mellor

[pursuant to his reply, 29 March 1984, c. 254]: Aggregate information on fires in dwellings in single and multiple occupation and on the resulting casualties is published annually in "Fire Statistics United Kingdom" (for example, Table 29 of the 1982 edition). The following table gives the more detailed information requested.

Fires and casualties from fires in dwellings by type of dwelling and source of ignition: United Kingdom 1982
Fires Non-fatal casualties Fatal casualties
Dwellings in single occupation—
total 34,994 3,966 457
Source of ignition
cooking appliances 12,900 1,082 29
space heating appliances 3,504 609 87
matches 2,242 456 51
other smokers' materials 2,752 659 123
other 11,634 745 81
unknown or unspecified 1,962 415 86
Detached, semi-detached or terraced houses in multiple occupation—
total* 5,786 776 77
Source of ignition:
cooking appliances 2,048 196 2
space heating appliances 580 92 16
matches 514 68 4
other smokers' materials 722 181 29
other 1,370 117 10
unknown or unspecified 552 122 16
Other dwellings in multiple occupation—
total* 13,021 1,828 180
Source of ignition:
cooking appliances 4,385 412 10
space heating appliances 793 226 28
matches 2,555 239 20
other smokers' materials 1,697 433 81
other 2,052 223 15
unknown or unspecified 1,539 295 26
Dwellings in multiple occupation of unspecified type—
total 19 1
All dwellings in multiple occupation 18,826 2,605 257
* The breakdown between (i) detached, semi-detached or terraced houses and (ii) other dwellings in multiple occupation was affected by a change in the completion of the fire report forms from February 1982 and the figures for 1982 are not comparable with those for earlier years. Fuller instructions were issued to brigades and this appears to have contributed to a decrease in the figures for houses in multiple occupation and an increase in those for other dwellings in multiple occupation relative to earlier years.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how any rescues were made by fire brigades from fires in singly occupied dwellings, multiple occupied dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses and multiple occupied dwellings in other buildings in 1982.

Mr. Mellor

[pursuant to his reply, 29 March 1984, c. 254]: The number of persons rescued from fires in occupied buildings by local authority fire brigades in the United Kingdom is published in "Fire Statistics United Kingdom" (for example, table 18 of the issue for 1982). Information on the type of building is given in the table:

Rescues by brigades from fires in occupied buildings by type of building
United Kingdom 1982
Type of building Number of persons rescued
Dwellings
Single occupancy 843
Multiple occupancy
Detached, semi-detached or terraced houses 379
Other* 1,114
Of unspecified type 1
Unknown or unspecified occupancy 34
Other occupied buildings 450
All types of building 2,821
* The breakdown between (i) detached, semi-detached or terraced houses and (ii) other dwellings in multiple occupation was affected by a change in the completion of the fire report forms from February 1982 and the figures for 1982 are not comparable with those for earlier years. Fuller instructions were issued to brigades and this appears to have contributed to a decrease in the figures for houses in multiple occupation and an increase in those for other dwellings in multiple occupation relative to earlier years.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the data for (a) deaths and (b) casualties in 1982 from fire in singly-occupied dwellings, multiply-occupied dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses and multiply-occupied dwellings in other buildings according to whether the person dying was (i) aged (a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 60 years, female, (c) 16 to 60 years, male, (d) 16 to 60 years, fire brigade, (e) over 60 years, female and (f) over 60 years, male and (ii) was trapped by fire, smoke or the collapse of the structure.

Mr. Mellor

[pursuant to his reply, 29 March 1984, c. 254]: Some information on the age and sex of casualties from fires in dwellings in single and multiple occupation is published annually in "Fire Statistics United Kingdom" (for example, table 23 of the issue for 1982). The following table presents information about the circumstances of these casualties for the groups requested.

Casualties from Fires in Dwellings by Type of Dwellings, Age, Sex and Whether Trapped*
United Kingdom 1982
Number of persons
Non-fatal Fatal
Total Trapped Total Trapped
Dwellings in single occupation
Total casualties 3,966 1,257 457 302
0–15 years 693 453 76 74
16–59 years, fire brigade 197 2
16–59 years, other male 1,036 252 74 44
16–59 years, female 974 310 50 32
60 years or over, male 398 90 112 68
60 years or over, female 601 129 145 84
Unspecified age or sex 67 21
Detached, semi-detached or terraced houses in multiple occupation
Total casualties† 776 359 77 54
0–15 years 71 57 7 6
16–59 years, fire brigade 45
16–59 years, other male 251 118 19 12
16–59 years, female 178 85 15 12
Non fatal Fatal
Total Trapped Total Trapped
60 years or over, male 92 43 14 10
60 years or over, female 122 48 22 14
Unspecified age or Sex 17 8
Other dwellings in multiple occupation
Total casualties† 1,828 948 180 128
0–15 years 273 217 22 19
16–59 years, fire brigade 76 1
16–59 years, other male 475 235 46 36
16–59 years, female 447 249 17 12
60 years or over, male 208 102 45 28
60 years or over, female 319 132 50 33
Unspecified age or sex 30 12
Casualities in dwellings in multiple occupation of unspecified type 1 1
All casualties in dwellings in multiple occupation 2,605 1,308 257 182
* Casualties occurring while discovering or fighting a fire may also have been trapped; if so, they are included in this table as trapped. The total numbers of casualties trapped thus exceed the figures published in Fire Statistics United Kingdom, where such casualties are recorded as occuring while discovering or fighting the fire, rather than while trapped.
† The breakdown between (i) detached, semi-detached or terraced houses and (ii) other dwellings in multiple occupation was affected by a change in the completion of the fire report forms from February 1982 and the figures for 1982 are not comparable with those for earlier years. Fuller instructions were issued to brigades and this appears to have contributed to a decrease in the figures for houses in multiple occupation and an increase in those for other dwellings in multiple occupation relative to earlier years.

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