Smoke Alarms Dr. Brand To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will estimate the cost of installing battery-powered smoke alarms in all local authority dwellings in England; [79605](2) if he will estimate the proportion by region of local authority-owned dwellings fitted with smoke alarms; [79607](3) if he will estimate the cost of installing mains-powered smoke alarms in all local authority dwellings in England. [79583] Mr. Raynsford The proportion of local authority owned dwellings fitted with smoke alarms is as follows. Estimates are taken from the 1996 English House Condition Survey. They relate to occupied local authority dwellings only and are as follows:-------------------------- |Government Office Region| -------------------------- |North East | -------------------------- |Yorkshire and the Humber| -------------------------- |North West | -------------------------- |East Midlands | -------------------------- |West Midlands | -------------------------- ------------ |South West| ------------ |Eastern | ------------ |South East| ------------ |London | ------------ |England | ------------ In 1996, 40 per cent. of occupied local authority dwellings had no smoke alarm fitted. The estimated cost of installing battery-operated smoke alarms in these dwellings is £40 million. This is based on flats requiring one smoke alarm and houses requiring two. In 1996, 60 per cent. of occupied local authority dwellings had a smoke alarm fitted but only 16 per cent. of these were mains powered detectors. The estimated overall cost of installing mains-operated smoke alarms in the 90 per cent. of occupied local authority owned dwellings in which no mains powered smoke alarm is currently present, is £260 million. Dr. Brand To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of lives that would be saved each year if every local authority dwelling in England was fitted with a smoke alarm. [79606] Mr. George Howarth I have been asked to reply.Although no current estimate along those lines is available, fire statistics show that there were 465 fire deaths in dwellings in England in 1997 and these can be categorised by the presence or otherwise of a smoke alarm.----------------------------------------------- |Present, operated and raised the alarm | ----------------------------------------------- |Present, operated but did not raise the alarm| ----------------------------------------------- |Present, but did not operate | ----------------------------------------------- |Absent | ----------------------------------------------- |Total | ----------------------------------------------- Research shows that around 82 per cent. of households in England and Wales now own a smoke alarm. However, the levels of ownership among those households in the United Kingdom having fires is much lower, at only 30 per cent.The 1997 fire fatality statistics show the very clear benefits of increasing smoke alarm ownership further as well as the need to make sure that alarms are properly maintained and sited. Such messages are an important part of the Government's new Community Fire Safety strategy which is designed to reduce fire deaths in the home.