§ 105. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, what steps are to be taken by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research following the observations of the Hertford coroner on Wednesday, 2nd December, 1959, upon the deaths of five children in a house fire after a conflagration caused by a paraffin oil heater; what recommendations as to safety standards on paraffin oil heaters have been enunciated by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; and, having regard to the fact that several million portable domestic heaters of the kind referred to are now in daily use in Great Britain, what special instructions he has given to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to study urgently the possibility of improvement of safety standards for such heaters.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe annual reports for 1957 and 1958 of the joint Fire Research Organisation of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Fire Officers' Committee drew attention to the potential danger from paraffin oil heaters. Before the disaster at Ware the Organisation had already begun a special survey of fires traced to this source, and letters have been sent to 29 firms inviting them as a matter of urgency to supply samples of their74W heaters for test; 23 of them have already agreed to do so and the tests are in progress.
My noble Friend has satisfied himself that the appropriate Government Departments have been made aware of the position. Suggestions for remedial measures must await the results of the test.