asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he can give an assurance that all hospitals have regular and frequent fire drill; whether he will give details as to the frequency of such drills; and how many have taken place in the London area during the past two weeks.

All National Health Service hospitals should have regular fire drills and my Department has advised in detailed guidance on fire precautions that these should be held at least twice a year. Detailed arrangements are left to individual health authorities according to local circumstances at their hospitals, and no central records are kept of fire drills.