§ Mr. Wrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity why 2,096 premises covered by the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act have not been issued with certificates indicating that fire prevention officers are satisfied that adequate escape routes exist in case of fire; whether the attention of owners has been drawn to this situation; and, in the light of the disaster in Glasgow a fortnight ago, what action she proposes to take.
§ Mr. FernyhoughBy 31st December, 1967 the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act had been in force for only three complete years. Certification of premises in relation to means of escape is a complex process requiring considerable expertise and, as explained in the report on the operation of the Act for 1967, a simple statement of the number of certificates issued does not give a complete picture of the progress made because there is an inevitable time-lag 107W between the initial inspection of premises and certification, and because a number of cases where a certificate has not yet been issued are well in hand.
Fire authorities have been asked to give priority to the work of certification and I have no reason to suppose the Glasgow Fire Authority has been giving insufficient attention to this aspect of their responsibilities. I hope that the authority's annual report for 1968 will show that further progress has been made. Where fire certificates are required by the Act, the responsibility is on owners and occupiers, as appropriate, to apply to the authority for a fire certificate and the figure of 2,096 refers to the number of outstanding applications. Any further advice to fire authorities must await the outcome of the fatal accident inquiry.
§ Mr. Wrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity why 364 factories in the Glasgow area have not been issued with certificates to attest the adequacy of their means of escape in case of fire; whether the attention of the owners of these premises has been drawn to this; and what action she proposes.
§ Mr. FernyhoughThe issue of fire certificates in these cases is a matter for the fire authority. The occupiers of 303 of the 364 factories had as at 27th November, 1968 been specifically advised by the Factory Inspector to apply for one. Information is not available in the remaining 61 cases where the occupier may have made an application to the fire authority for a certificate without prompting from the inspector. Check visits will be paid in all cases of serious concern.