Fire Safety (Hansard, 22 March 2004)

§ Sir Archy Kirkwood

Annual Fire safety training is available for all those who work on the parliamentary estate. This training is offered to Members and their staff but is compulsory for staff of the House. There is a rolling programme of training staff and contractors' personnel permanently employed on the estate. Since September 2003, 1,083 staff of the House have been trained. 72 of these have also been trained as evacuation marshals.

Between June and November 2003 a total of 45 fire safety training sessions were available to Members and their staff; 284 Members and approximately 525 members of their staff were invited to attend. However, only one Member and 30 Members' staff actually took part.

£
Food Aid—World Food Programme	From 1 March 2004	1,000,000
Food Aid—World Food Programme	From 26 March 2003	1,000,000
Emergency Nutrition—Dutch Interchurch Aid	From 23 June 2003	550,000
International Committee of the Red Cross	From 15 March 2004	500,000
Emergency Nutrition—UNICEF	From 9 December 2003	500,000
Health and Nutrition—UNICEF	From 1 March 2003	500,000
International Committee of the Red Cross	From 1 March 2003	500,000
Catholic Fund for Overseas Development	From 21 May 2003	200,000

The conflict with Ethiopia is a contributory factor (poor rainfall being another) to fool insecurity that has made food aid and specialised health and nutritional Interventions necessary. The support to the ICRC is more specifically targeted on addressing the effects of conflict.

We and others in the international community are continuing to make clear to both parties that the Boundary Commission's decision is final and binding. We are also urging the two parties to engage in dialogue on all the issues separating them. Only through normalising relations can a lasting peace be secured and

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In an effort to improve this very low response from Members and their staff, the Fire Safety Manager has made a special effort to publicise training and encourage attendance, beginning in 1 Parliament Street. So far this month, eight training sessions have been made available to the 60 Members and 80 staff with offices there. Take-up has slightly improved but is still disappointing: four Members and 28 of their staff have been trained. Eight more sessions are being held this week, and the programme will be extended to the other outbuildings as well as the Palace.

Initial fire safety training is given to staff of the House during the Health and Safety element of mandatory induction courses. Discussions are taking place with the aim of including similar training in the induction programme for Members' staff.

Fire evacuation drills in the Palace of Westminster and all other buildings on the parliamentary estate also form part of fire safety training. Drills were conducted in every building on the parliamentary estate during the week beginning 15 December 2003. Everybody in the building at the time of a drill is expected to take part and I would encourage Members to set the example for their staff and evacuate the building during a fire drill.

Fire safety training is essential to the security of everyone on the Parliamentary Estate. I strongly encourage Members and their staff to attend training when they are invited to do so.