§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many sprinklers were installed in properties owned by local authorities last year; and if he will make a statement. [65857]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Government's policy is on encouraging the installation of sprinkler systems in(a) local authority owned houses and (b) new build houses; and if he will make a statement. [65856]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe information is as follows:
- (a) The Government have no formal role in encouraging local authorities to install sprinkler systems. It is a matter for local consideration, although authorities will be assisted by the proposed introduction of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This will provide a risk based approach to the implementation of safety measures in dwellings. The HHSRS provides an analysis of risk from 24 broad hazards, including hazards from fire, and of the counter-measures to address those risks. Sprinklers are listed as one of the measures to promote fire safety.
- (b) Although there are currently no plans to revise the building regulations to include provisions for domestic sprinkler systems into new build houses, we are keeping this under review in the light of emerging standards and improvements in sprinkler technology. We have recently let two research contracts to look at the whole issue of residential and domestic sprinklers, including an assessment of their actual effectiveness and the undertaking of a regulatory impact assessment to consider their costs and benefits. The results and conclusions of this work should be available around the end of 2003.
We will need to await the findings of the research work referred to above, before we are in a position to consider more fully if the provision of residential sprinklers should be a requirement of the building regulations.