§ Rev. William McCreaTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to remove all structures similar to the one in which a fire occurred at Magherafelt Royal Irish Regiment base. [12592]
§ Mr. SoamesThe fire are Magherafelt on 30 April 1994 took place in a Widgeon type structure, being used as sleeping accommodation. Since that time, many have been replaced by more modern structures and some have been allocated to other uses. At the time of the fire, there were 44 Widgeon buildings in Northern Ireland, of which 31 were being used as sleeping accommodation. As of 5 February 1996, the total number had been reduced to 33, of which 15 were used for sleeping accommodation. After a thorough survey of these 15 buildings, a range of additional safety measures is being implemented. I am satisfied that all responsible steps are being taken to minimise the risk of fire in the remaining buildings of this type.