§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what factors he attributes the increase of 9 per cent. in the number of fires in hospitals and nursing homes between 1981 and 1983.
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to his reply, 16 January 1986, c. 699]: The numbers of fires of particular types in hospitals and nursing homes are subject to variation from year to year and between 1981 and 1983 they increased by 8 per cent from 2,081 to 2,243. The rise is mainly attributable to an increase in accidental fires ignited by smoker materials and an increase in deliberate or possibly deliberate fires largely ignited by patients in psychiatric hospitals.