HL Deb 04 February 2004 vol 656 cc27-8WS
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

First, may I say that our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragedy?

It is too early to speculate about the cause of the fire. Investigations are already under way in Scotland and we will be looking very closely at their findings and considering the implications for England and Wales.

The cornerstone of our policy remains the prevention of fire. When fires do occur, simple precautions such as keeping fire doors closed and installing smoke alarms can play a vital role in reducing death and injury. Integrated risk management plans will make sure that more work is done by the fire and rescue service to prevent fires in the first place, by identifying those people in the community most at risk and targeting resources more effectively.

Sprinklers can also play an important role in suppressing fires where they have broken out, though it is too early to conclude that if the Rosepark Nursing Home had been fitted with a sprinkler system, any loss of life could have been prevented.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been actively investigating the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties. The results of this work, which is being undertaken on our behalf by the Building Research Establishment, are being fed into the review of the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations (England & Wales), which is currently under way. A report of the work will shortly be published, enabling those involved with fire safety in buildings to gain a more comprehensive understanding of residential sprinkler systems. However, the tragic incident at the weekend indicates that sprinklers may have a role to play in protecting vulnerable groups such as homes for children, homes for elderly people, homes for disabled people and higher risk houses in multiple occupation.

In relation to existing premises, including residential care homes, an employer is required under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, as amended, and under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to undertake a risk assessment in order to safeguard the safety from fire not only of his employees but of all people on his premises affected by his work. This assessment can include the provision of sprinklers within the building. This requirement will be extended by the proposed Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order to include most premises to which the public have access, and the duty imposed upon the employer will he extended to include any person who is responsible for managing the premises.

In the mean time our community fire safety programme continues to educate people about the risks associated with fire and the measures which can mitigate against its occurrence. This programme has already been effective in reducing fire deaths and injuries from accidental fires.