Stevenson Welcomes Proposed Delay to Fire Alarm Regulations

Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed an announcement by the Scottish Government to delay plans which requires all homes in Scotland to have interlinked smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

The move will now be postponed until February 2022 amid the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Scottish Government confirmed earlier this week that it will ask Parliament to approve a 12-month delay in the deadline to carry out this important safety work.

If the delay is approved, the new regulations, which extend the standard which currently applies to private rented property and new-builds to all homes in Scotland, will be moved back to February 2022.

The Scottish Government has already made over £15m of loan funding available for Social Landlords to procure and install the necessary alarms which should help ensure that social tenants are safe in their homes.

The Scottish Government has also provided additional funding of £870,000 in each year for the last two years to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to support their Home Safety Visits for vulnerable and high-risk people.

Commenting, Stewart Stevenson MSP said:

“Fire safety is an absolute priority for all of us, and these improved regulations will mean that everyone in my constituency will benefit from the same level of protection, whether they own their home or rent from a social or private landlord.

“However, given the impact of Covid-19, and the difficulties this legislation was likely to cause for people seeking to install new alarms, it’s welcome that the Scottish Government has listened to concerns and decided to ask the Scottish Parliament to delay the deadline by 12 months.

“As your representative for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, I will continue to look closely at ensuring people have the support, information and advice they need to make changes in advance of the new standards coming into force in February 2022.”