§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider requiring the use of fire-retardant materials in the construction of all newly-built coach, bus and train seating; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWe have already put to the bus and coach industry proposals to require seats and other soft material on new coaches to be of fire-retardant material and I hope it will be possible to bring forward draft regulations later this year.
Statutory responsibility for the safe design of railway rolling stock rests with the operators themselves, and their fire safety measures include the use of fire-retardant materials. A draft British standard code of practice for fire prevention in rolling stock, based on extensive testing, has recently been produced under the charmanship of the Railway Inspectorate.