§ Sir Ivan LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to implement the recommendation in the Bickerdike Allen report of 1990 that a national network of professional development courses be established in universities and colleges of higher education targeted at the various professionals concerned with fire precautions.
§ Mr. Charles WardleA national core curriculum in fire safety studies by design has been developed by the fire safety studies group which comprises representatives of the concerned professional bodies and Government Departments. The curriculum provides a common body of knowledge from which each profession can take what is needed for its members' development in fire safety studies. The curriculum was formally launched at the Palace of Westminster on 21 June. It has already been adopted as part of the entrance examinations of some of the professional bodies. Courses, up to degree level, based on the curriculum are already running in a number of institutions. These, with others, will form the national network recommended by the Bickerdike Allen report. I have arranged for copies of the national core curriculum in fire safety studies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.