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Written question asked by Clive Betts (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 February 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 February 2023. It was answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 February 2023 on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what additional support his Department plans to make available to timber fire door manufacturers to ensure a smooth transition from the national fire door testing standard BS476 to the proposed new standard EN1634-1; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

The Department welcomes the views of industry on all the measures proposed in our December 2022 consultation, including on testing capacity and transition periods for the proposed changes. In this consultation we are proposing to remove the national classification from Approved Document B and utilise the more robust and up to date internationally recognised standard. During the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the use of the national classification system came under scrutiny, and flaws in its use were presented in the oral expert evidence. The BS 476 series standards have not been reviewed by the British Standards Institution in detail for some time (over 20 years on average). In addition, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower and following an investigation by the Department several issues were highlighted with the consistency of fire resistance performance of some fire doors.

Upon completion of the public consultation, and subsequent analysis of the responses, the department will publish, alongside the government response, a full regulatory impact assessment which will include a detailed assessment of the impacts of the changes to the guidance. This assessment will be informed by the responses to the consultation and the evidence provided.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
141344
Session
2022-23
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Buildings Fire prevention Manufacturing industries Standards Testing Timber
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk