Smoke Detectors (Hansard, 14 December 1988)

§ Mr. Burt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations his Department has had with chief fire officers over smoke detectors.

§ Mr. John Patten
Smoke alarms have been discussed with representatives of chief fire officers, in the context of publicity within the forum of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council at its meeting on 22 September and also at recent meetings of some of the council's subsidiary committees. We shall be writing to chief fire officers in the Thames and Granada television regions this week seeking their support for a further public education campaign based on television advertising in the new year.

§ Mr. Burt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet able to report progress on pilot schemes being conducted to place smoke detectors in local authority domestic accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. John Patten
A Home Office research project with Tameside metropolitan borough council and Greater 577W Manchester county fire service, under which smoke alarms are to be installed in 10,000 homes in the Tameside area of Greater Manchester, was formally launched on 6 December. The neighbourhoods and dwellings are being selected on as random a basis as possible to reflect a wide cross-section of the community and local authority dwellings are included in the scheme.
The results will be monitored over the next three years to find out the overall effectiveness of smoke alarms in alerting occupants to the outbreak of fire and reducing fire casualties.

§ Mr. Burt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations his Department has had with home safety organisations over smoke detectors.

§ Mr. John Patten
The Home Office consults widely on fire safety matters but there have been no specific consultations with home safety organisations in recent months.

§ Mr. Burt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations his Department has had with local authorities over smoke detectors.

§ Mr. John Patten
Smoke alarms have been discussed with local authorities' representatives in the context of publicity within the forum of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council at its meeting on 22 September and also at recent meetings of some of the council's subsidiary committees.