Chief Executive’s Blog: Calm Down, Dear – It’s Only A Private Member’s Bill!

There was a sudden email flurry last week when one of our fellow passive fire trade association was alerted to a Committee stage debate in the House of Lords on a bill which would reform the Building Regulations to make sprinklers mandatory in new domestic residential buildings.   Let’s not get too excited.  It’s a private member’s bill which hasn’t managed to make its way through the Lords yet, never mind the Commons.  Given that there are only five or six sitting days left to the Easter recess, most of them will be taken up with the Budget debate, and almost everyone expects the Election to be called when Parliament returns on 6 April, it’s unlikely to get much further. By the same token, I would be very surprised if it was one of the measures swept through on agreement as part of the wash-up period (the few days between the Election being called and Parliament being dissolved, when they tie up all the loose ends). Reading the Minister Lord Mckenzie’s response to the debate, there’s just not the political impetus behind it.  
 
He said, ‘Although we clearly recognise the significant potential benefits that sprinkler systems can offer, and that there is a place for imposing their provision through regulation in some circumstances, we would regulate only where such provision was proportionate to the risk.’  They would want to conduct a review of the pros and cons to assess that.  I’d expect that to be part of the process towards developing the next revision of AD B, rather than something which would be tackled sooner rather than later. Turning to the issue, rather than the process, it’s clear that the sprinkler lobby will continue to push this.  They will no doubt be encouraged by their success in Wales.  Our view as the BWF reflects the general view of the Passive Fire Protection Federation, that sprinklers are part of a holistic approach to fire safety in a building.  But they must always be seen as additional to the existing passive fire protections, never as a substitute.  The Building Regulations should also continue to recognise the importance of proper compartmentation.