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Warehouse, Distribution and Storage Premises

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will make it his policy to ensure that building regulations limit the compartment size for single storey warehouse, distribution and storage premises; [8229]

Dr. Whitehead: I do not currently plan to adopt a policy, in either the Building Regulations or the Approved Documents that support them, to limit the compartment size in single storey warehouse, distribution and storage premises.

Nor do I currently plan to adopt a policy, in either the Building Regulations or the Approved Documents that support them, to require the installation of sprinklers in all warehouse, distribution and storage premises where there are compartment sizes in excess of 2000 square metres.

Guidance on fire safety measures that will meet the requirements of the Building Regulations is given in Approved Document B (Fire safety). The 2000 edition of Approved Document B suggests that the compartment size of an unsprinklered single storey retail premises should not exceed 2000 square metres.

The decision to limit the guidance on the use of sprinklers in the 2000 edition of Approved Document B to single storey retail buildings, as opposed to warehouse, distribution and storage premises, was based on the fact that retail buildings have the greater potential for loss of

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life. This is because of the large numbers of people that may be present within a retail building, the fact that they will generally be unfamiliar with their surroundings and the levels of managerial control that can be placed on members of the public is somewhat different to that which can be placed on staff in a warehouse type building. The decision to provide such guidance on single storey retail buildings was arrived at following the undertaking of a full Regulatory Impact Assessment.

Owing to the recognised fact that the level of risk to occupants and fire fighters can increase with height, the Approved Document does already suggest maximum compartment volumes, both with and without sprinklers, for multi-storey storage type buildings.

No estimate has been made of the cost of requiring the installation of sprinklers in all new warehouses, storage and distribution buildings. This would form part of a Regulatory Impact Assessment should such a proposal be considered in the future.

I do not propose to adopt the policy of requiring all warehouse, distribution and storage premises to use only non-combustible core sandwich panels as this is a matter for consideration on a case-by case-basis. The 2000 edition of Approved Document B offers guidance on the use of sandwich panels within buildings. It offers design recommendations with regard to the selection of the type of panel core and its associated jointing and fixing system. It goes on to suggest that a risk assessment approach should be adopted to identify the appropriate solution.

The Building Regulations are applicable to most building work that is undertaken in England and Wales, typically the erection or extension of a building. Fire precautions in warehouses in use are normally governed by the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, as amended, and, where the warehouse has been designated as a factory, the Fire Precautions Act 1971. Fire safety legislation is concerned with life safety, and sprinklers will be required if they are necessary for the protection of employees or other occupants of the building.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public since 1990 of fighting fires in warehouse, distribution and storage premises. [8232]

Dr. Whitehead: This information is not available centrally. Research into the cost of fires has been recently undertaken by the Home Office and is now being taken forward by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

However, the current model does not allow for the cost of fires in warehouse, distribution and storage premises to be separately identified from the broader category of "fires in buildings other than dwellings".

Regional Air Services

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will exempt UK regional air services from airport passenger duty; and if he will make a statement. [9355]

Mr. Boateng: I have been asked to reply.

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Decisions on taxation are considered annually as part of the Chancellor's overall Budget judgment.

Airport Passenger Duty

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much the Government received from air passengers in airport passenger duty in each of the last three years. [9345]

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Mr. Boateng: I have been asked to reply.

Receipts from Air Passenger Duty for the years 1998–99 and 1999–2000 are shown in HM Customs and Excise Annual Report 1999–2000 Table P.

Receipts from Air Passenger Duty for the year 2000–01 can be found in the National Statistics publication "Financial Statistics" Table 2.1D.