To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been damaged by fire resulting from (a) accidents and (b) arson in the last 12 months. (235796)

The latest 12 months for which these figures are available are September 2006 to August 2007. In England, during this period, there were 35,400 dwellings damaged as a result of accidental fires and 7,500 dwellings damaged as a result of deliberate fires.