Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many fires were caused by an electrical source in the last 12 months; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of such fires.

In 2013/14, fire and rescue authorities in England attended around 28,600 fires which were caused by an electrical source (including 8,100 which were cooking related). Around 60 per cent of these fires were in residential premises.

The Department’s Fire Kills campaign, run in close partnership with fire and rescue authorities in England, promotes a range of domestic fire safety messages designed to ensure householders take appropriate action to prevent accidental fires and understand how best they can protect themselves and their families.

Fire Kills and Electrical Safety First have a longstanding and close partnership to promote electrical fire safety messages, including through the annual Electrical Fire Safety Week, which runs in November each year.

The Department makes a range of fire safety risk assessment guidance available to those responsible for fire safety in non-domestic premises.