WIRED FOR SAFETY CAMPAIGN

Early day motion 1526, tabled 1 July 2002 by Martin Caton (Labour). Signed by 34 members.

That this House congratulates the National Assembly for Wales on initiating the 'Wired for Safety' campaign which draws attention to the evidence that disadvantaged groups are at most risk from fire and the fact that houses of multiple occupation account for the majority of all fire deaths, and which addresses the need for hard-wired smoke detectors and sprinkler systems within homes and public buildings, including schools; remains concerned, however that the number of deaths caused by fire is twice the national murder rate, that 75 per cent. of accidental fires occur in the home and that there are three school fires a day in the United Kingdom; recognises the evidence from Europe that losses from fires in buildings protected by sprinklers were just 10 per cent. of those without sprinkler systems; notes that since the City of Vancouver, in Canada, passed a by-law requiring the installation of sprinklers and hard-wired protection systems in all new residential constructions, the number of deaths from fire in the city has dropped dramatically; and therefore urges government at all levels in the United Kingdom to adopt policies to improve radically the number of people protected by hard-wired smoke detectors and sprinkler systems, at home, in education, at work and in leisure.

Signatures by party: Labour 25, Plaid Cymru 3, DUP 2, Liberal Democrat 2, Conservative 1, UUP 1.