§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will arrange for an urgent review of the procedures concerning the design and planning of new health care buildings, particularly hospitals, in order to ensure that such buildings have had as comprehensive a consideration in relation to their fire precautions as is given to buildings falling either within the Fire Precautions Act 1971 or within building regulation legislation.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergNo. Under present procedures, those responsible for the design and planning of health care buildings are asked to observe the requirements of building regulations and to follow the guidance in technical memoranda issued by the Department which deal with matters such as means of escape in hospitals and fire detection which are not included in the building regulations applicable in England and Wales. They are also asked to consult local fire authorities at an early stage of the design process.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the titles and dates of issue of memoranda which are of a mandatory nature issued by his Department on the design and construction of new hospitals with regard to fire precautions.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergNo memoranda of a mandatory nature have been issued by the Department on the fire precautions to be observed in the design and construction of new hospitals. Health authorities are advised to comply with the draft guide "Fire Safety in Health Buildings—September 1978" which was issued to them in January 1979 and with Health Technical Memorandum No. 82—"Fire Alarm and Detection Systems"—which was issued in June 1982. Separate guidance—"Nucleus—fire precautions recommendations" issued in February 1979 applies to hospitals which are being designed under nucleus principles.