Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for fire-safety of bringing forward legislative proposals for installing water sprinkler systems in (a) public, (b) residential, (c) commercial and (d) industrial premises.

We have already brought forward changes to Building Regulations guidance (Approved Document B) by lowering the height threshold for sprinklers from 30 metres to 11 metres in new blocks of flats. Assessments were set out in the Government impact assessment, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/887225/Impact_Assessment_-_Sprinklers_and_other_fire_safety_measures_in_high-rise_blocks_of_flats_2020.pdf.

We are assessing the body of evidence available on the costs, benefits, and implications of installing sprinkler systems for selected other residential building types within the full technical review of Approved Document B (ADB) which began on 17 June 2020 with research into specialised housing and care homes. We have not made an assessment of the potential merits of sprinklers in commercial, industrial, or other types of premises.