Stunell urges Minister to scrap fire safety reforms

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Oct 2004

Local MP, Andrew Stunell has joined with a group of MPs to press the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, not to revoke life saving Fire Precaution legislation introduced after the Kings Cross rail disaster.

Andrew Stunell said:

"We need rigorous checks in place to make sure that this country never experiences another railway fire disaster on the scale of the Kings Cross.

"Valuable changes were made to the fire service and Stockport rail services to increase fire safety through clear operational procedures, and clear chains of command and accountability."

"The Government's proposed reforms threaten to jeopardise the rigorous safety mechanisms in place."

The House of Commons Regulatory Reform Committee has investigated the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's (ODPM) proposed reform of the Fire Safety Order. They reported that a convincing case for revoking the present law has not made, and that it may well jeopardise current safety standards.

Andrew Stunell added:

"The Deputy Prime minister, John Prescott, must accept the findings of the committee and drop plans to scrap a regime that works to replace it with one that jeopardises lives. END