2 Introduction
2. On 10 May 2004 the Government laid before Parliament
a proposal for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2004
in the form of a draft of an Order and an explanatory memorandum
from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (the Department).[1]
3. The proposal is intended to achieve a wide-ranging
consolidation of the existing legislation relating to fire safety,
thereby reducing the burdens on business caused by the overlap
of existing multiple fire safety regimes and the overlap of enforcing
authorities. The aim of the proposed order is to achieve a single
regulatory regime for fire safety, with one authority in each
area responsible for enforcement of general fire safety issues.
4. The House has instructed us to examine the overall
proposal against the criteria specified in Standing Order No.
141(6) and then, in the light of that examination, to report whether
the Government should proceed, whether amendments should be made,
or whether the order should not be made.[2]
5. Our discussion of matters arising from our examination
is set out below. Where a criterion specified in Standing Order
No. 141(6) is not discussed in the report, this indicates that
we have no concerns to raise about that criterion.
6. We have received a number of written representations
on the proposal.[3] We
determined to take oral evidence from the Fire Brigades Union
(FBU), the Chief Fire Officers' Association (CFOA), Professor
Rosemarie Everton, Professor of Fire Law at the University of
Central Lancashire, Mr Tony Taig, a risk consultant, and Phil
Hope MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department.[4]
We are grateful to all those who have assisted us with our scrutiny
of the proposal.
1 Copies of the proposal are available to Members of
Parliament from the Vote Office and to members of the public from
the Department. The proposal is also available on the Cabinet
Office website:
www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regulation/rra/rro/proposals.asp Back
2
Standing Order No. 141(2) Back
3
A list of the written evidence received is at p 59. Back
4
The witnesses are listed at p 60. Back
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