To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department decided to consider whether to amend its guidance on the handling of fires involving oxyacetylene; what consultants have been employed on the matter; and when revised guidance will be published. (175986)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today (PQ175548).

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to amend guidance to fire authorities on the handling of fires involving oxyacetylene; and if she will make a statement. (175548)

There are no plans to amend the current guidance to fire authorities on the handling of fires involving acetylene.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department began recording fires involving oxyacetylene as fires of special interest; and how many such fires have been recorded. (175555)

Communities and Local Government started to record reported incidents involving acetylene during March 2007, 30 incidents have been recorded to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has commissioned on the most effective ways of handling fires involving oxyacetylene. (175556)

In February 2007, Communities and Local Government published a review of research carried out in investigating how acetylene cylinders involved in a fire are dealt with by fire services around the world and in identifying gaps in existing knowledge. This review is published on the Department's website at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/safetyacetylene