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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the economic and environmental costs of fire in domestic, industrial and commercial buildings, and, if such estimates have not been made, why not.

The government has not made such an estimate. Such estimates are made, only where necessary, to assist in the assessment of specific policy proposals.

Part B (Fire safety) of the Building Regulations for England was last subjected to a major review in 2006. Since then the guidance has been subject to minor amendments in 2007, 2010 and 2013. Where substantive changes were made, in 2006 and 2013, the government of the day issued an impact assessment which set out the matters that were considered at the time. These documents ( attached) are available in the library of the house and available on the internet at;

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919132719/http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/regulatoryimpactassessment10

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/39372/121128_-_Part_B_IA_-_to_publish_for_web.pdf