Councillor hits out at new alarm legislation
The leader of West Lothian Council has hit out at the Scottish Government for pushing through a new scheme that requires everyone in the country to have interlinked smoke alarms.
Speaking in his capacity as the council’s Labour group leader, Lawrence Fitzpatrick said it “defies comprehension” that the Scottish Government has refused to delay the scheme which came into effect on February 1 as many people have reported delays in sourcing the new alarms.
The new regulations require interlinked fire alarms and a carbon monoxide detector be installed in all homes in Scotland. The prime concern is the validity of insurance cover in the event of a fire.
Free assistance and installation for elderly and disabled people from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is limited to those residing in council tax bands A to C.
Councillor Fitzpatrick said the government was “stubbornly” refusing to delay the scheme. He said: “There are many elderly and people in financial difficulty who are unable to afford the current estimated cost of £300 and the additional cost of a qualified tradesperson to install. It is the case that many constituents are unaware of the new regulations and many, including myself, have been waiting a considerable time for ordered goods to arrive.”
A joint statement between local authority body Cosla and the Scottish Government stressed a light touch enforcement approach from councils. It said: “Improving fire safety remains an important priority for both national and local government. The legislation provides flexibility for people to fit the necessary alarms in due course if they are unable to do so by the February 2022 deadline. As a result, local authorities will be taking a proportionate and measured approach to compliance taking individual circumstances into account as well as reflecting the evolving situation with the Covid-19 pandemic. No one will be criminalised if they need more time and there are no penalties for noncompliance. However, we would encourage everyone to install these alarms.”