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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve fire safety in homes; what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing fire safety regulations for household furnishings and consumer products; what plans the Government has to increase public awareness of fire prevention and household fire risks; and what steps he is taking to ensure that any future changes to fire safety regulations do not reduce protections for consumers or increase the risk of fire-related deaths and injuries.

The Government’s national ‘Fire Kills’ campaign provides clear, practical advice to help people prevent fires in the home and respond safely if a fire occurs, and this year has focused on the need to have sufficient smoke alarms. The campaign also supports fire and rescue services in delivering their statutory duty to promote fire safety through local prevention activity.

There has been a long-term downward trend in the number of dwelling fires over the past 10 years. In the year ending December 2025, there were 26,298 dwelling fires. This was a decrease of 16% with the year ending December 2015 where there were 31,213 dwelling fires.

The Government works closely with fire and rescue services, regulators and industry to monitor emerging risks, including those associated with modern consumer products, and to ensure that guidance and standards remain appropriate and effective.

MHCLG works closely with Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on fire safety matters. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (FFRs), as well as general consumer product safety, is the responsibility of DBT. DBT has launched a consultation setting out the Government’s intention to reform the FFRs to maintain a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants.

The Government remains clear that maintaining and improving public safety is paramount, and there are no plans to reduce protections for consumers or to introduce changes that would increase the risk of fire related deaths and injuries.