Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what fire safety standards her Department expects childcare settings to meet.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. The statutory framework is published at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

The welfare and safeguarding section in the EYFS requires childcare settings to comply with requirements of health and safety legislation, including fire safety requirements. Providers must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the premises in the case of fire or any other emergency, and must have an emergency evacuation procedure. Providers must have appropriate fire detection and control equipment (for example, fire alarms, smoke detectors, fire blankets and/or fire extinguishers) which is in working order. Fire exits must be clearly identifiable, and fire doors must be free of obstruction and easily opened from the inside.