§ Sir Geoffrey FinsbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what routine fire inspections of underground system railways stations are required by the relevant statutory authorities in respect of London Regional Transport, the Paris Metro and RER and the Berlin U-Bahn.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 19 February 1990]: Fire precautions on the London Underground are controlled by regulations made under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 which are enforced by the London fire and civil defence authority.
The regulations themselves do not specify what fire inspections should take place. London Underground Ltd. has, however, applied to the authority for temporary exemption from certain provisions of the regulations which came into force on 1 January 1990. As a condition of granting the exemptions, the LFCDA has required LUL to carry out regular inspections of high-risk areas in particular Underground stations. These inspections will continue until LUL complies with regulations and the exemptions can be lifted.
I have no information on the routine inspections required by the relevant statutory authorities in respect of the Paris Metro and RER, or the Berlin U-Bahn.