HC Deb 13 December 1994 vol 251 cc584-5W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which(a) occupied and (b) unoccupied royal palaces have fire certificates.

Mr. Sproat

Under the terms of the Fire Precautions Act 1971, fire certificates are required only for premises employing more than 20 persons or more than 10 persons above the ground floor. Therefore, only specific areas of royal palaces require fire certificates.

(a) occupied royal palaces: At Windsor castle, certificates have been issued for the Round tower and the Saxon tower. Applications are being processed for two other areas.

Applications are being processed for eight areas in other places.

(b) unoccupied royal palaces: At the Tower of London a certificate has been issued for the new armouries. Applications are being processed for one other area at the tower and two areas at Hampton Court palace.