Rental Properties: Smoke Alarms

Baroness Walmsley Excerpts

Thursday 8th May 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

Accidental death by fire has reduced dramatically over the years, partly because of the introduction of smoke alarms but also because of a range of other measures, regulations and activity in this area. As I say, the review is comprehensive and we are certainly looking at how such a change would affect all those who live in the rented sector.

[Baroness Walmsley (LD)]

My Lords, will the Government use whatever opportunities they can to remind the public that wired-in smoke alarms are very much safer than those operated by batteries? A smoke alarm with a flat battery is about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

My noble friend makes an important point because it is not just about installing these alarms; it is about making sure that they are working effectively. One of the things that the Government do is support the “Fire Kills” campaign. We do a lot of activity to ensure that people check that their alarms are working on, at the very least, the weekends when we change the clocks.