Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 2 July 2019 to Question 270343 on Fire Extinguishers, whether his Department's report referenced in that Answer includes the cost of installing sprinkler systems in new buildings.

Yes, the second paragraph from the executive summary states the following:

“This Final work stream report describes the findings of the research for Work stream 5 – Sprinkler provisions. The guidance in Approved Document B (AD B) currently provides that most buildings over 30 m tall should have sprinkler protection with the exception of purpose groups: 2(a) – residential (institutional), 2(b) – residential (other) and 7(b) – (car parks). The principal aim of this work stream was to produce robust evidence and data to explore the options for fire sprinklers in tall buildings above 30 m not currently requiring sprinklers.”

Please note that, since July the Department has published a consultation which outlines the government’s intention to amend Approved Document B to reduce the trigger height at which sprinkler systems would be required in new high-rise blocks of flats and asks for views on the trigger height options. The consultation is available at the following and closes on 28 November 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/sprinklers-and-other-fire-safety-measures-in-new-high-rise-blocks-of-flats.