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ROSIE TELLS PM NOT TO LET OTHER SCHOOLS ‘SUFFER SAME FATE AS ASMALL’

Immediate release: Wednesday 21 July

Rosie Cooper MP today alerted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the devastating fire that recently occurred at Asmall Primary School, within her constituency.

https://ormskirk.qlocal.co.uk/ormskirk/news_list/%27Explosions%27_as_fire_rips_through_Ormskirk_primary_school_UPDATE-55050965.htm

She asked him to commit to a mandate that all new build schools and major refurbishments are installed with sprinklers, so that other schools do not suffer the same fate.

The Prime Minister responded by saying that we cannot be complacent about fires in schools and that the Department for Education is consulting on guidance to improve fire safety in schools.

West Lancashire MP Rosie said: “I appreciate the supportive comments made by the Prime Minister to the school and its pupils, but simply consulting on fire safety is not enough!

“In 2006 I worked with TV Presenter Nick Ross, campaigning for sprinklers to be installed in all new build and renovated schools. I was also one of eight MPs sponsoring the Fire Safety (Schools) Bill in 2010, which aimed to legislate this change. Unfortunately, this Bill was not passed at the time.

“It is disgraceful that this is not already a requirement for new schools! The Prime Minister’s response shows that the Government are still not interested in protecting schools or pupils from the considerable damage and disruption that a fire can cause.

“The campaign for mandatory sprinklers in new schools is still going, led by Zurich Municipal, who are also the school’s insurer. In a meeting I had with them, I was told the fire at Asmall Primary in Ormskirk caused over £2 million worth of damage. The cost of installing these sprinklers is tiny compared to this!

“I will be continuing to back this campaign despite the PM’s disinterest.”

PMQ Transcript

Rosie Cooper MP: 'The Government claim that fires in schools are very rare and are mostly confined to one room or cause little or no damage. The fire last month at Asmall Primary School in my constituency spread far beyond the original site and severely damaged three rooms. That has had a devastating effect on the school, and the pupils now face 18 months of disruption to their education. Will the Prime Minister commit to a mandate that all new build schools and major refurbishments are installed with sprinklers so that schools do not suffer the same fate as Asmall Primary in Ormskirk?'

The Prime Minister: 'I thank the hon. Lady very much and I thank the fire service for its outstanding response to the fire at Asmall Primary School. I am sorry for the disruption that children are experiencing. We cannot be complacent about fires at all, let alone fires in schools, and the Department for Education is consulting on guidance to improve fire safety in schools further. I encourage her to make representations in that consultation.'