§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what advice has been given to those who manage, on behalf of the nation, the royal palaces, Crown and stately homes following the result of the investigations into the cause and extent of the fire at the National Trust property, Uppark house, West Sussex in 1989.
§ Mr. BrookeIn 1990 the Fire Protection Association, on behalf of the United Kingdom working party on fire safety in historic buildings, published a guide to the protection of historic buildings—"Heritage under Fire". This publication, which had full Government support, was intended to help the owner or occupier of an historic building to implement procedures to reduce the possibility of fire and, in the event of fire, to minimise its impact on the building and its contents. It drew on the experience of a number of fires, including those at Uppark house and Hampton Court palace. The guide has been distributed widely to owners of historic buildings, including the Historic Royal Palaces Agency and Government Departments. The Department of the Environment also produces a series of regularly updated guidance notes on fire prevention in historic buildings.