§ Dr. CableTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment the Government has made of the costs and benefits of making the fitting of smoke alarms a statutory requirement for(a) domestic and (b) other property owners. [89132]
§ Mr. LeslieThe possibility of introducing a mandatory requirement on all households to install smoke alarms was considered by the Community Fire Safety Task Force whose 1997 report, "Safe as Houses", outlined a strategy on reducing fire deaths. The Government accepted their finding that, although such a proposal does have attractions, the enforcement difficulties were likely to be excessive. Instead, it advocated a far greater level of publicity and education to build upon the significant improvement on ownership levels which have already been achieved.
The fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations in Approved Document B were amended in 1992, to include provision for mains wired, interconnected smoke alarms to be provided in all new dwellings, resulting in new homes being provided with smoke alarms since 1992. This provision was extended in 2000 when, following a regulatory impact assessment, it was considered to be good regulation for smoke alarms to also be provided where a loft conversion is undertaken in an existing dwelling. This move, together with our wider publicity and educational efforts, has helped to raise smoke alarm ownership levels in all households to 82 per cent.
392WPremises that require a fire certificate under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and premises that are subject to the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 can be required to have fire detection equipment where this is reasonable and necessary in relation to the risks to persons who use the premises. This was reflected when the Building Regulations and Approved Document B were further amended in 2000 to require new and materially altered premises to be fitted with appropriate provisions for the early warning of fire.
The Government have also recently consulted on proposals to reform general fire safety law by means of a Regulatory Reform Order. These proposals would extend the risk based requirements of the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations to most places, other than private dwellings, and would include provision of fire detection equipment where this is reasonable and necessary. The proposals will be subject to a full Regulatory Impact Assessment and this is currently being prepared.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate the Government made of the number of homes(a) equipped and (b) not equipped with a working smoke alarm. [89135]
§ Mr. RaynsfordFindings from the "2000 British Crime Survey" suggest that 77 per cent. of households in England and Wales were equipped with at least one smoke alarm. 23 per cent. of households were not equipped with a smoke alarm.
Due to the nature of the question asked in the British Crime Survey, it is not possible to ascertain what proportion of households were equipped with a working alarm. However, evidence from the National Community Fire Safety Centre's annual Fire Safety Attitude and Behaviour Monitor suggests that in approximately 9 percent. of households containing fitted smoke alarms at least one alarm has either been disconnected or has had the battery removed.