§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all outstanding initial, reinspection and routine fire prevention inspections for private residential homes in Kent expressed in officer man years for the last recorded year.
§ Mr. John PattenThis information is not available centrally. I have ascertained from the Kent fire brigade that during 1987, 65 full inspections, 568 specific, 229 follow-up and 250 routine inspections were made of the 809 homes for old persons, the disabled and mentally handicapped and nursing homes in the county. These figures do not distinguish between homes financed privately and by local authorities. Such inspections are undertaken on an advisory basis in co-operation with the responsible authorities and the brigade determines its own policy in making them. The question of outstanding inspections does not, accordingly, arise.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all outstanding initial, reinspection and routine fire prevention inspections in Kent expressed in officer man years for the last recorded year.
§ Mr. John PattenFire prevention inspections are required statutorily only when an application for a fire certificate for premises designated under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 is made to the fire authority. During 1987, 238 certificates were issued by the Kent fire brigade and at the end of the year 2,991 certificates were in force for such premises. A further 1,646 certificates issued under the Factories Act 1961 and the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963 were also in force. I have ascertained from the brigade that at the end of 1987 the issue of 492186W certificates was outstanding on premises that had been inspected and 289 premises were awaiting inspection. Figures are not available centrally to express outstanding inspections in officer man years.