§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to take account of the effects of the amendment to the England and Wales Approved Document B (Building Regulations, Fire) before deciding whether it should be followed in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. AtkinsNorthern Ireland Building Regulations closely reflect and are based on the equivalent regulations in England and Wales. In deciding that the fire safety requirements developed for England and Wales, and expressed in approved document B, should be adopted for Northern Ireland, account has been taken of the development of those requirements, the approved document in its final form and of experience of its operation since it came into force on 1 June 1992. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland will continue to monitor the operation and effectiveness of the fire safety requirements of the England and Wales regulations.
§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment has been made of the sufficiency of the length of time of fire resistance required for a commercial building over 30 m in height in the proposed Northern Ireland Building Regulations (Fire) to offer adequate escape time in the case of fire arising from a terrorist incident.
§ Mr. AtkinsNo specific studies have been undertaken of escape times required in the case of fires arising from terrorist incidents. However, experience of fires shows that there is little difference in growth rates between fires arising from such incidents and those arising from other causes, apart from the initial intensity. Northern Ireland Building Regulations presently require commercial premises over 28 m high to have two hours, fire resistance; they do not require the premises to be sprinklered. The proposed new regulations would require buildings over 30 m high to have the same fire resistance for elements of structure as 463W currently required, reducing to a minimum of 90 minutes for elements not forming part of the structural frame, and in addition, would require all such premises to be sprinklered.