To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviromment what effort is being made to secure representation on the Department's fire advisory panel of members with special knowledge of passive fire protection.

The Department does not try to secure representation of particular sectors of the fire protection industry on the fire advisory panel. We do, however, seek an appropriate balance of expertise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviromment what account his Department has taken of the lessons of the terrorist attack on the New York trade centre, in respect of fire resistance periods required for this type of building under the Department's present England and Wales regulations; and if he will make a statement.

From the evidence currently available, there seems to be little to be learnt about fire resistance periods which is likely to be relevant to Building Regulations in England and Wales from the trade centre attack.