HC Deb 02 July 1984 vol 63 cc51-2W
Mr. Hannam

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision is made for the emergency evacuation of disabled people in BS5588, part 3, code of practice for office buildings; what provision is in the drafts of parts 2 and 6; and how long it took the British Standards Institute to complete part 3 once it had started its work on the code.

Mr. Gow

British standard BS5588 part 3, 1983 office buildings, recommends that designers should consider the needs of disabled people when planning fire precautions in office buildings. It also contains advice on their management.

There is similar guidance in the draft of part 2, shops. Further parts of the code have still to be numbered and as yet there is no part 6. It took the British Standards Institution four years from the start of work on part 3 until its final publication in 1983.

Mr. Hannam

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the consultation letter on building regulations issued on 7 February 1983 contained proposals for giving access for disabled people to all floors of new buildings when the consultation in October 1983 did not; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gow

It has always been our intention that building regulations for the benefit of disabled people should relate to all the floors of the buildings to which they apply. My Department's first statutory consultation on possible new regulations reflected this intention. The response of those concerned with fire safety was that such

Housing Corporation—approved development programme 1984–85 (All figures expressed in estimated 1984–85 out-turn prices)
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Net allocation (cash limit) 617
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regulations would reduce safety standards unless there were also provision for disabled people to escape in an emergency from upper or basement floors. The proposals were modified in the light of these considerations, and a second consultation paper was issued suggesting that interim regulations should be introduced so that access would at least be secured to the ground floors of public buildings. We announced our intention to replace the interim regulations with comprehensive ones applying to all floors as soon as the technical problems of means of escape were solved.

Mr. Hannam

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the part of the awaited British Standard code of practice for means of escape which is said to be preventing the extension of building regulations on access provision for disabled people to all floors; and when the British Standards Institute began its work on this part of the code of practice.

Mr. Gow

There is no British Standard code of practice for means of escape which applies to all buildings. There is a series of codes dealing with fire precautions in different types of building, and, as this series is revised or extended, guidance on the needs of disabled people is being incorporated. This process began in 1978 and such codes for office and for shops are now ready. The British Standards Institution is considering producing a code of practice on means of escape specifically for disabled people. This code would apply to all building types, but work on it has not yet started. It is the absence of codes for many types of public buildings which is impeding the introduction of building regulations requiring access for disabled people to all floors of those buildings. People must be able to escape safely in an emergency.