Every care home in Scotland to receive fire safety check

Every Scottish care home for older people is to be visited by
the fire service in the wake of the Uddingston fire which killed 14
residents in a nursing home last week, writes Maggie
Wood.

Cathie Jamieson, justice minister, made the announcement in the
Scottish parliament stating that there would be a public inquiry in
to the blaze at the nursing home in Lanarkshire.

However, opposition MSPs called for sprinkler systems to be
introduced in all 1,800 care homes and other multi-occupancy
housing.

Michael Matheson, SNP’s depute justice minister who
introduced a bill to have sprinkler systems installed in all
multi-occupancy housing last year, said: “Fire alarm systems
do not fight fires, but sprinkler systems do.” The bill is still
being considered by the parliament.

Phil Hope, the minister for building regulations in Westminster,
told the House of Commons: “The tragic incident at the
weekend indicates that sprinkler systems may have a role to play in
protecting vulnerable groups such as homes for elderly and higher
risk houses in multi- occupancy.”