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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to reduce the number of elderly people involved in domestic fires, and what consideration they have given to the case for awareness campaigns for older people on domestic electrical safety.

The Department’s Fire Kills campaign, run in close partnership with fire and rescue authorities, promotes a range of fire safety messages to the public and especially to those most vulnerable to fire, including older people. Although accidental fire deaths in the home in 2013/14 were at an historic low level, over half of fatalities were aged 65 or over.

Recent campaigns have targeted older people, as well as encouraged others to look out for the safety of older neighbours, friends and family. 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 continues to explore with other relevant agencies how to expand this element of the Fire Kills programme

In addition, the Department is funding the Royal College of General Practitioners to develop with the Chief Fire Officers’ Association an e-learning tool for GPs to help them consider the risk from fire to their patients. This will help GPs to better identify those at particular risk from fire and to refer them to the local fire and rescue service for tailored fire safety advice, and, if necessary, equipment.

We very much welcome the Chief Fire Officers’ Association current work with NHS England and on behalf of fire and rescue authorities in England which is designed to improve the availability of data about those aged 65 and over and support a more targeted local approach.