| Home Page |
Column 215
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 6 February 1992
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Peru
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss human rights in Peru when he meets President Fujimori of Peru on 5 February.
Mr. Garel-Jones : My discussions with President Fujimori covered a wide range of issues of common interest, including human rights.
Soviet Union (Members' Visits)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of hon. Members to whom his Department has afforded a briefing in advance of visits to the former Soviet Union since 1979.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We do not hold this information. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has given briefing to a very large number of hon. Members visiting the former Soviet Union over the past 13 years, and of course stands ready to do so in the future.
Cash Limits
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes he proposes to make in his Department's diplomatic wing cash limits and running costs limits for 1991-92.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made : The cash limit for class II, vote 1 (overseas representation) will be increased by £8,209,000 from £629,076,000 to £637,285,000. The running costs limit on vote 1 will be decreased by £1,781,000 from £480,647,000 to £487,866,000. These changes take account of increased local staff salaries overseas and the adverse effect of overseas price movements which are partially offset by reduced running costs on the home estate, local budgets and information services. The cash limit for class II, vote 2 (other external relations) will be increased by £27,939,000 from £165,431,000 to £193,370,000. This change takes account of expenditure on Vietnamese boat people ; international peacekeeping operations in Yugoslavia and Cambodia ; the United Nations Angola verification mission ; a grant-in-aid towards the Westminster Foundation for Democracy ; a payment to the Iranian Government under the United Kingdom/Iran compensation agreement and higher than forecast expenditure on United Kingdom contributions to international organisations due to the adverse effect of overseas price movements.
The cash limit for class II, vote 4 (The British Council) will be increased by £463,000 from £89,944,000 to £90,407,000 to take account of the adverse effect of overseas price movements.
Column 216
These increases will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.TRANSPORT
Cash and Running Costs Limits
28. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to make to the cash limits and running costs limits for his Department.
Mr. Rifkind : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made :
Class and |Current cash |Changes |Revised cash Vote |limit |limit --------------------------------------------------------------------------- VII, 1 |1,953,664,000 |<1>-21,435,000|1,932,229,000 2 |234,438,000 |<2>3,176,000 |237,614,000 4 |148,254,000 |8,660,000 |156,914,000 5 |349,585,000 |<3>7,600,000 |357,185,000 <1> Transfers of £2,835,000 for research and development to class VII, vote 2, £8,850,000 for the Black Country spine road to class VIII, vote 3, £8,660,000 to class VII, vote 4 in respect of reduced appropriations in aid. There is a further reduction of £1,090,000 as a result of the demand financing arrangements for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. <2> An increase of £451,000 for railways inspectorate service from Department of Employment (class VI, vote 3). There is also a reduction of £110,000 in the running costs on this vote. <3> It was announced on 1 July 1991 (Official Report column 6) that I would seek to introduce at an early opportunity legislation to write off or suspend those parts of the debt of the Humber Bridge Board that cannot be financed from the board's revenues. The board's borrowings are from the Public Works Loan Commissioners and from my Department. Until powers to write off or suspend debt are available, it would be inappropriate for further loans to be made by my Department to the board as there is no reasonable expectation of those loans being properly serviced and repaid and I understand that the Public Works Loan Commissioners have also decided that it would be inappropriate to make further advances to the board. To enable the board to meet its commitments I propose to make grants to it amounting to £7,600,000. These grants will be made on the sole authority of the estimate and the subsequent Appropriation Act.
My Department's running costs limit has been reduced by £110,000 from £378,984,000 to £378,874,000.
The changes described will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Airports
Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in installing a permanent noise and track keeping system at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am delighted that my noble Friend has announced in another place that BAA has now committed itself to purchasing a system that should be installed by early autumn. The system will be one of the most modern in the world, and will have considerable flexibility in the ways it can be used. It will be used to enforce noise and track requirements and also to provide a lot more information about the performance of aircraft and their impact on surrounding communities.
The noise monitoring will be carried out by a total of 36 noise monitors. There will be 12 fixed noise monitors in total at the three airports, primarily to monitor noise against predetermined limits, and 24 mobile monitors that
Column 217
can be deployed to collect data on aircraft noise from any area near the airports. The monitors will be able to record the noise made by individual aircraft and will also be able to store data so that they can be analysed in a variety of ways. This will enable a review of noise limits to be carried out at the three airports with a view to introducing tougher limits more appropriate to modern aircraft. The noise monitoring installation should be completed by the early summer.The track monitoring will require provision of radar data feed to the system. I understand that this should be available so as to allow installation of the track monitoring by early autumn. Again, the system will be able to identify the tracks followed by individual aircraft as well as to allow analysis of track data in different ways. This will be used to improve the accuracy with which aircraft follow noise preferential routes from the airports.
I am pleased to report that BAA is keen to involve local people through the local airport consultative committees in considering how best to use the system. It has great potential for ensuring that aircraft are operated in a way that minimises noise nuisance for surrounding communities. But the most effective use of the system will be developed only with experience : the contribution from local people and from the airlines to that development will be invaluable.
Holborn Station
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the safety improvements promised for Holborn station to be carried out.
Mr. Freeman : The timing of particular underground schemes is a matter for London Underground Limited.
Bow Trader
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what inquiry will be undertaken by his Department into the events which led to the Bow Trader colliding with two bridges on the Thames on the night of 31 January ;
(2) if he will ask Mr. John Hayes, the head of the independent inquiry into river safety, to consider the collision of Friday 31 January of the Bow Trader into two bridges on the River Thames.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Department's Marine Accident Investigation Branch is involved with the Port of London Authority in an investigation into the incident. The MAIB will provide Mr. John Hayes with early advice on the initial findings of the investigation.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the minimum manning level for a dredger such as the Bow Trader, operating on the River Thames at night.
Mr. McLoughlin : The minimum manning level of United
Kingdom-registered ships is assessed on an individual basis. In the case of the Bow Trader the minimum number of crew would be eight. The composition of the watch when operating on the River Thames at night should not be less than one qualified officer on the bridge, a helmsman, a lookout and an engineer.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the level of manning on the Bow
Column 218
Trader on the night of 31 January ; whether lookouts were maintained in compliance with his Department's standards ; and if they were equipped with two way radios.Mr. McLoughlin : These matters will be addressed during the investigation.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the initiatives taken by his Department to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and indicate the estimated reduction for each initiative by (a) 2000 and (b) 2005.
Mr. Chope : I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment gave earlier today.
Dock Labour Scheme
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer of 28 January, Official Report, column 501, if he will give details of any provision by which third parties affected by the abolition of the dock labour scheme may seek redress.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Dock Work Act 1989 made no provision in respect of creditors and non-docker employees of stevedoring firms, since their rights, in the event of a liquidation, were already governed respectively by the general legislation on insolvencies and employment protection.
Marine Accident Report
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the recommendations made by the marine accident investigation branch in the Marchioness/Bowbelle report have been fully implemented ; and if he will list those recommendations which remain to be implemented, and the target implementation date.
Mr. McLoughlin : The 27 recommendations in the marine accident investigation branch report were published, separately from the report, in July 1990. The Secretary of State for Transport immediately accepted them all. So far 20 recommendations have been fully implemented.
Of those outstanding, five are to be the subject of regulations, and, as required by the Merchant Shipping Act 1979, consultative documents have been circulated for public comment. It is planned that sets of regulations, based on three recommendations will be in force by this summer. The recommendations to be covered by these regulations will be :
No. 5--minimum standards of visibility on passenger launches ; No. 15-- boatman's licence to be given statutory status ; No. 17--hours of work on river craft.
It is planned that sets of regulations, based on two recommendations, will be in force by this autumn. The recommendations to be covered by these regulations will be :
No. 20--a review of standards of stability and construction on passenger launches ;
No. 24--a review of life saving appliance requirements on passenger launches.
In respect of action on recommendation No. 4--to enforce existing guidelines on navigational bridge visibility
Column 219
on sea going ships--the United Kingdom made a submission to the 17th assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 1991, and will be making a submission to the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee during 1992, with a view to the mandatory adoption of the guidelines internationally. Arrangements enabling all relevant United Kingdom ships currently operational to comply with this recommendation should be completed by the end of this month. Responsibility for recommendation No. 19--a traffic signalling system on the River Thames- -lies with the Port of London Authority (PLA). A system of radio-controlled warning lights has been developed by the PLA for 19 London bridges. Commissioning of the lights will take place on 15 February. It is anticipated that there will be a commissioning period of one month prior to final acceptance by the PLA.Provisional Driving Licences (Application Forms)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include on the application form for a provisional driving licence a notice informing applicants that they may receive direct mail from private organisations ; and if he will provide for applicants for provisional driving licences to opt out of the receipt of direct mail consequent on their completion of the form.
Mr. Chope : Further consideration is being given to the use of DVLA's database for commercial purposes. The concerns of individuals receiving third party mail has been recognised and any decision will take account of this and of the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
Driving Licences
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning the inclusion of photographs on driving licences ; whether the photograph will be digitised and sent to the police national computer ; and whether the photograph will be used for official or unofficial identification purposes.
Mr. Christopher Chope : The DVLA is undertaking a feasibility study to determine how best to proceed with the initiative of including photographs on driving licences. Several strategic and administrative issues are being addressed including the technology available, costs and the data protection implications. The DVLA will seek the advice of the data protection registrar.
Police have access to the driver licensing records for law enforcement purposes under the terms of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Schedule 34(5)a of the Data Protection Act 1984 removes any data protection restriction on such statutory disclosure. If photographs of drivers were to form part of those records, then the police will have access to them under the same terms, subject to consultation with the data protection registrar.
A driving licence is a document which indicates an individual's entitlement to drive. It is not, nor is it intended that it should be, an identity document. The law does not require drivers to carry their licence with them and there are no plans to change this.
Car Accidents
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will show the number of car accidents involving drivers aged (a) 17 to 20 years, (b) 21 to 30 years, (c) 31
Column 220
to 40 years, (d) 41 to 50 years, (e) 51 to 60 years, (f) 61 to 70 years and (g) 70 years and older both as a figure and as a percentage of all drivers in the relevant age category.Mr. Chope : The information requested is given in the table. Information on the proportion of driving licence holders who are active drivers is not available. This may vary between age groups.
Number of car drivers involved in injury accidents by age: GB 1990
Number of injury accidents involving car drivers of different ages:
GB 1990 Percentage of the driving population involved in injury
accidents by age: GB 1990
|Number of |Number of |Estimate of|Percentage
|injury |car drivers|number of |of all car
|accidents |involved in|persons |drivers who
|involving |injury |holding a |are
|car drivers|accidents |full car |involved in
|in each age |driving |injury
|group<1> |licence<2> |accidents
|(millions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
17-20 |42,763 |45,131 |1.3 |3.6
21-30 |89,487 |101,674 |6.3 |1.6
31-40 |57,773 |63,225 |5.9 |1.1
41-50 |42,250 |45,056 |5.5 |0.8
51-60 |25,554 |26,579 |3.8 |0.7
61-70 |14,655 |15,013 |2.8 |0.5
71 and over |9,226 |9,469 |1.6 |0.6
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Total<3> |222,772 |330,181 |27.2 |1.2
<1> Accidents involving drivers in more than one age group are included
in each relevant row.
<2> Estimate based on population date for 1990 from OPCS and GRO(S) and
data on the percentage of the population holding driving licences from
the 1988-90 National Travel Survey.
<3> Including younger ages and unknown ages.
Motorway Repairs
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve maintenance on motorways and to speed up the backlog of essential repairs.
Mr. Chope : We shall be announcing plans later this month.
Coastguard Service
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will specify the consultations including dates of meetings and correspondence on the review of Her Majesty's coastguard in Cornwall with (a) local authorities, (b) coastguard staff and (c) the public.
Mr. McLoughlin : The regional controller of Falmouth search and rescue region consulted all regular coastguard officers and auxiliary coastguards in charge of rescue companies within the region, which includes Cornwall, by means of a first draft regional implementation plan on 5 February 1991. Elements of this plan were widely discussed in Cornwall--we received 33 letters from individuals and organisations between 7 February and 20 March 1991.
The proposals of over 40 regular and auxiliary coastguards were incorporated into the final plan which, as intended, very much reflected local opinion.
The regional controller also personally briefed the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) on 8 February 1991, and the hon. Member for Truro on 6 July 1991 about the background to the review, as well as five Conservative,
Column 221
Labour and Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidates for Cornish constituencies between 19 February 1991 and January 1992.The county emergency planning officer for Cornwall was briefed about the review early in February 1991.
Motorway Accidents
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken on the causes of accidents on motorways.
Mr. Chope : The main causes of motorway accidents, driving too fast and too close to the vehicle in front, have been established for some years. Current departmental research is aimed at developing solutions and includes experiments with chevron markings ; yellow bar markings on slip roads ; automatic fog and incident detection equipment and advanced variable message signs.
Cycling Helmets
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken on the effectiveness of cycle helmet wearing.
Mr. Chope : A hospital-based study carried out by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory indicated that cycle helmets reduce the risk of cranial injury by 16 per cent. and of serious cranial injury by 30 per cent.
Pollutants
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for developing pollution reduction strategies for key transport pollutants in areas where repeated breaches occur.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 3 February 1992] : Severe air pollution occurs rarely, and is normally associated with unusual weather conditions. During such periods we advise individuals to use public transport whenever possible, share cars and cut out less important journeys.
We have set in train a number of far reaching measures to reduce motor traffic pollution. New European standards for new cars and heavy diesel vehicles will bring major gains, with tough limits becoming mandatory from the end of the year. The new emissions check in the MOT test should ensure substantial reductions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. We intend to introduce a metered smoke test in the annual test for heavy diesels.
We are also taking measures to deal with traffic and congestion. These are a mix of traffic management, parking controls and better public transport. We are supporting high levels of investment in British Rail and the underground, and we have recently produced, in conjunction with the bus industry and the local authorities, advice as to how buses can help ease congestion. We also issue guidance to local authorities on how to help cyclists and pedestrians. We are setting up a programme of research into urban road congestion, which will include an assessment of the potential role of road pricing.
Column 222
NORTHERN IRELAND
Dentists, South Down
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many dentist, in the constituency of South Down operate within the national health service ; how many operate privately ; and what were the figures on 1 January 1987.
Mr. Hanley : The information is available only in respect of those units of management in the Eastern and Southern boards which form all or part of the South Down constituency. The figures for 1 January 1992 also reflect the amalgamation of the Lisburn and Down units of management with effect from 1 April 1990. Details are as follows :
Unit of management |Health service |Private dentists
|dentists
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 January 1987
Down |14 |-
Newry and Mourne |19 |-
Craigavon and Banbridge |23 |-
1 January 1992
Lisburn and Down |44 |-
Newry and Mourne |25 |1
Craigavon and Banbridge |32 |-
Irish Language Leaving Certificate
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the students from the Republic of Ireland who have obtained places at university in Northern Ireland in 1990-91 and 1991-92 have passed the Irish language leaving certificate.
Dr. Mawhinney : The numbers with higher level Irish language leaving certificate were as follows :
|Number
----------------------
1990-91 |168
1991-92 |160
Numbers for those with lower level leaving certificates in Irish language are not available.
Nurses and Health Visitors
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) district nurses and (b) health visitors are employed in each of the units of management of each health and social services board in Northern Ireland ; and what were the figures on 1 January 1987.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested is set out in the following tables :
(a) 31 December 1986
Unit of management |District |Health
|nurses |visitors
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Board
Eastern Board HQ |17 (17.00) |5 (5.00)
South Belfast Community |24 (23.10) |31 (30.06)
East Belfast and Castlereagh
Community |43 (40.84) |47 (44.64)
North and West Belfast Community 70 (65.62) 57 (55.46)
Lisburn<1> |39 (37.74) |31 (29.34)
North Down and Ards<1> |61 (56.03) |49 (44.03)
Down<1> |31 (30.50) |19 (18.66)
Northern Board
Coleraine, Ballymoney and Moyle<1> |40 (38.58) |25 (22.75)
Carrickfergus, Larne and
Newtownabbey<1> |43 (42.53) |40 (38.38)
Magherafelt and Cookstown:<1> |24 (24.00) |16 (15.60)
Antrim and Ballymena |40 (39.00) |29 (27.07)
Southern Board
Armagh and Dungannon<1> |37 (36.05) |35 (28.34)
Banbridge and Craigavon<1> |35 (33.60) |37 (34.51)
Newry and Mourne<1> |51 (30.50) |27 (27.00)
Western Board
Londonderry, Limavady and
Strabane<1> |55 (42.46) |40 (39.00)
Omagh<1> |18 (17.22) |15 (13.97)
Fermanagh<1> |25 (25.00) |18 (15.69)
<1>Includes combined District Nurse/Midwives.
Notes:
1. Whole-time equivalent figures are shown in brackets.
2. Figures are shown at (a) for 31 December 1986. The nearest date to 1 January 1987 for
which figures are available.
3. The reply reflects the changes in Units of Management which took place on 1 April 1990.
(b) 31 December 1991
Unit of management |District |Health
|nurses |visitors
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Board
Eastern Board HQ |1 (1.00) |1 (1.00)
Royal Group of Hospitals |13 (11.38) |-
Ulster, North Down and Ards |11 (11.00) |-
North and West Belfast Community |48 (47.48) |62 (58.27)
South and East Belfast Community |57 (56.37) |76 (65.31)
Down and Lisburn<1> |65 (63.14) |50 (45.28)
North Down and Ards Community |49 (41.36) |39 (35.59)
Northern Board
Causeway |33 (32.60) |25 (23.34)
Bannside |52 (49.58) |43 (40.55)
Loughside |39 (37.33) |43 (41.26)
Southern Board
Southern Board HQ |- |1 (1.00)
Armagh and Dungannon |41 (40.00) |25 (22.00)
Craigavon and Banbridge
Community |32 (30.90) |42 (37.59)
Southern Area Mental Health |12 (12.00) |-
Newry and Mourne |31 (31.00) |30 (28.12)
Western Board
Altnagelvin |16 (16.00) |-
Foyle Community |45 (43.13) |41 (36.50)
Omagh and Fermanagh |44 (44.00) |37 (34.79)
<1> Includes combined District Nurse/Midwives.
Notes:
1. Whole-time equivalent figures are shown in brackets.
2. Figures are shown at (a) for 31 December 1986. The nearest date to 1 January 1987 for
which figures are available.
3. The reply reflects the changes in Units of Management which took place on 1 April 1990.
New Comber High School
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has yet received a schedule of accommodation from South Eastern education and library board for the proposed New Comber high school ; and if he will make a statement about the progress of this scheme.
Column 224
Dr. Mawhinney : A schedule of accommodation was received by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland in October 1991. A revised schedule has been approved by the Department and returned to the board to enable it to draw up outline plans for the new school.
Mental Handicap
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the revenue expenditure of each regional health authority on health service facilities for patients with a mental handicap for each year since 1981, in cash terms and at 1991 prices.
Mr. Hanley : The information for Northern Ireland is as follows :
Year |Net hospital |1991 prices
|running costs
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |12,732,578 |23,380,546
1981-82 |14,327,360 |23,992,497
1982-83 |15,271,295 |23,872,588
1983-84 |15,970,537 |23,860,126
1984-85 |16,686,465 |23,741,822
1985-86 |17,391,292 |23,450,724
1986-87 |17,831,572 |23,278,814
1987-88 |18,560,576 |22,980,964
1988-89 |19,944,274 |23,039,651
1989-90 |20,541,719 |22,284,597
1990-91 |21,258,075 |21,258,075
The figures do not include increasing levels of expenditure on health care in the community for such patients.
Cash Limits
Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cash and running cost limits for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland departmental services in 1991-92.
Mr. Brooke : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, it is proposed that the cash limit for class 17 vote 1 (the Northern Ireland Office) will be increased by £11,236, 000 from £773,396,000 to £784,632,000. This is principally to meet additional expenditure on compensation and police costs.
The cash limit for most Northern Ireland departmental services (NID1) for 1991-92 will be decreased by £47,820,000 from £3,119,703, 000 to £3,071,883,000. This decrease arises from the transfer to the Northern Ireland Office cash limit (NIO1) of £10,581,000, the transfer to the Northern Ireland independent living fund (NID2) of £726,000 and other technical changes of £36,513,000 (net), including transfers to non- cash limited areas within the Northern Ireland Departments and a surrender of cash limit cover as a result of repayment of loans.
The cash limit for the Northern Ireland independent living fund (NID2) for 1991-92 will be increased by £726,000 from £2,870,000 to £3,596,000. This increase arises from a revision in the assumptions on which payments from the fund are based.
The Running Cost Limit for Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments will be increased by £3,895,000 from £652,593,000 to £656,488,000 primarily reflecting the take-up of £1,199,000 of the end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to
Column 225
the Treasury on 17 July 1991, Official Report, columns 235-40, and the transfer of £2,696,000 from the Department of Social Security in respect of services operated on an agency basis by the Department of Health and Social Services. The revised running cost provision is £162,315,000 for the Northern Ireland Office and £494,173,000 for Northern Ireland Departments.The increase outlined above will not add to the planned total of public expenditure in Northern Ireland in 1991-92.
ENVIRONMENT
Fire Safety
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect multi-seat fires may have on means of escape ; and what account has been taken of this within the new Building Regulations.
Mr. Yeo : The means of escape provisions of the Building Regulations have always been based on the assumption that there is unlikely to be more than one seat of fire. Accidental multi-seat fires in buildings are so unlikely that it would not be reasonable to make special provision for them under the regulations.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which the removal of requirements for non-combustible materials and materials of limited combustibility will affect smoke levels and fire load in buildings and the unseen spread of fire and smoke within concealed spaces.
Mr. Yeo : The changes to the guidance on the use of non combustible materials and materials of limited combustibility are not expected to have any significant effect on the smoke levels in buildings, which are determined primarily by the smoke produced by their contents, such as furniture and fittings. Likewise, these changes to the guidance are unlikely to affect the unseen spread of smoke and fire, which is prevented by cavity barriers. The new guidance has not dispensed with controls over the positioning of these barriers, and it takes account of the material lining the cavity.
The fire load is likely to be increased in some buildings where more combustible materials are used in the construction of fire resisting walls and floors. However this is not likely to be of any significance for the overall levels of safety. Because they are fire resisting these elements of construction are unlikely to be heavily involved in a fire until an advanced stage is reached, by which time evacuation would have had to have been completed.
Mr. Fry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect he expects the deletion of structural non-combustibility requirements from the new building regulations to have on (a) levels of (i) fire severity, (ii) smoke and toxic fumes and (b) likelihood of premature collapse of structures in fires in buildings constructed to the new regulations.
Mr. Yeo : On points (a) (i) and (ii) I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway).
The likelihood of premature collapse should not be affected by the use of combustible materials in the
Column 226
circumstances described in the new guidance to the building regulations. Regardless of their composition fire resisting floors and walls that perform a load bearing function have to maintain that function for the designated test period.Mr. Fry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account was taken in drawing up the building regulations tabled on 10 December of the problem of the increasing number of multi-seat fires of deliberate and terrorist origin ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : While the value of active fire suppression systems against attacks of deliberate and terrorist origin has been highlighted by the recent spate of incidents, and the new building regulation guidance would have the effect of increasing the number of such installations, the regulations are not an efficient way of countering this problem, compared with good management practices tailored to the particular circumstances, and the vigilance of all concerned. There is a long lead time between changes to the regulations and changes to a significant proportion of the building stock, by which time the nature of the problem may well have changed.
| Next Section
| Home Page |