§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the number of fires in buildings that have been caused through defective electrical wiring in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MayhewI have been asked to reply.
Table 39 of "Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1979" shows that in 1979 local authority fire brigades attended 6,802 fires in occupied buildings in which electrical wiring was reported as the source of ignition of the fire. Of these, 5,398 were reported to have been due to faults in electrical supply circuits or in leads to appliances.