§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations she has had from the English tourist industry regarding the application of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988(a) to hotels of all sizes and (b) to self-catering accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the reasons for all exceptions in these categories. [23578]
127W
§ Mr. SproatThe Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 are primarily the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. I have had no representations about the application of the 1988 regulations to hotels. Hotels are subject to the Fire Precautions Act (Hotels and Boarding Houses) Order 1972, made under the Fire Precautions Act 1971.
The 1988 regulations apply to furniture supplied as part of self-catering accommodation let out in the course of a business for holiday or leisure purposes. I have had a number of representations from self-catering tourist accommodation providers, but none during the past 12 months. As a result of representations about the considerable cost of compliance, the Government made, in 1993, an amendment to the 1988 regulations giving self-catering accommodation providers until 31 December 1996 to replace furniture which does not meet the fire resistance requirements, provided that the furniture has already been supplied as part of accommodation previously let.