Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued on fire safety for the construction of wooden dwellings.

The Building Regulations in England set minimum fire safety requirements for new homes and non-domestic buildings. They are couched in functional terms, and the Building Regulation guidance sets performance recommendations rather than prescribing the materials or technologies to be used. Similar provisions exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For example, Building Regulation guidance for fire resistance is provided in terms of ratings , these can be achieved by a range of materials and designs (e.g. steel, concrete, wood) by demonstrating they have met the requirements through recognised test methods and classifications. The Guidance for England has recently been revised in a new clearer format and is available on-line at; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-approved-document-b