§ Mr. TrendTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he will publish the report of the inquiry into fire protection measures for the royal palaces.
§ Mr. BrookeI have today published the report and have also placed copies in the Library of the House. This follows from my announcement on 14 January that I had invited Sir Alan Bailey to chair an inquiry into the adequacy of fire protection measures at the royal palaces for which I have a financial responsibility, following the tragic fire at Windsor castle last November.
I am very grateful to Sir Alan Bailey and to Philip Kilshaw and Donald Insall, who assisted him in his task, for producing a thorough and well-reasoned report. It contains a full and definitive account of the Windsor fire and identifies the lessons to be learnt from the fire. The main part of the report contains a comprehensive assessment of the strategy needed to protect these royal palaces from fire, while at the same time preserving their historic fabric. It properly considers the risks, costs and value for money aspects of fire protection measures.
I am glad to hear that the inquiry team "found basic fire safety precautions generally in place, and a programme of work already in train to improve fire protection". However the report makes clear that a number of further measures are desirable. Both I and the royal household accept the general strategy recommended in the report as sensible and necessary. Indeed many of the recommendations are already being implemented or planned. Those measures which the inquiry team consider should be implemented at once will be so implemented. This includes work at the White tower, which has already started. Detailed professional surveys will be or have already been undertaken for each palace, to recommend safety improvements such as compartmentation and fire stopping consistent with preserving the historic fabric. Automatic fire detection systems will be installed in each of the palaces which do not at present have such a system. The timing of these and other protection measures will be decided in the light of the findings of survey reports, the scope for adjusting planned works programmes to accommodate additional fire protection measures, and the availability of funds.
The royal household and the Historic Royal Palaces Agency, which are directly responsible for managing most of these properties, will now be considering the report in detail.
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