Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of residential fire inspection audits undertaken by local fire authorities.

Fire and rescue authorities have responsibility for enforcing compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which applies to non-domestic premises, including the parts of multi-occupied residential buildings used in common by the occupants of more than one dwelling. The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England requires each authority to have a risk-based inspection programme in place to ensure compliance with the Fire Safety Order in its area.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) will, as part of its inspection programme, include an assessment of how effective fire and rescue services in England are at protecting the public through the regulation of fire safety. One factor the Inspectorate will consider is the extent to which systematic, consistent and robust fire safety audits are undertaken. The first tranche of inspection reports, covering 14 fire and rescue services, is due to be published in December.