§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what(a) statutory duty and (b) guidelines have been given to fire authorities on giving fire safety advice to the public. [60439]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI have been asked to reply.
Fire authorities have a statutory duty under The Fire Services Act 1947 1(1)(f) to secure efficient arrangements for the giving, when requested, of advice in respect of buildings and other property in the area of the fire authority as to fire prevention, restricting the spread of fires, and means of escape in case of fire.
In addition to this, we intend to introduce a duty on fire authorities to secure efficient arrangements for providing advice, assistance and encouragement in respect of the steps to be taken to prevent fires in their area and to prevent the death of, or injury to, any person being caused by such a fire. This will form part of a Regulatory Reform Order, which will be out for consultation shortly.
The National Community Fire Safety Centre was established in 1998 to provide a resource for brigades in community fire safety work, whose toolbox gives guidance on advising the public on fire safety issues as well as examples of best practice.
Authority Scheme Type 1998 West Yorkshire PTA East Leeds Quality Bus Project Guided 1999 Bradford A641 Manchester Road Quality Bus Project Guided West Midlands PTA Town Centre Strategy Infrastructure