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Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Bill
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in moving the second reading of the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Bill in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
I move the second reading of the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Bill.
In January 1994, following a tragic fire at a bank in Shek Kip Mei, in which 13 people died, the Fire Investigation Team established to examine the circumstances of the incident found that certain types of premises are subject to particular fire risks. These premises are typically older commercial premises, where members of the public are likely to be present in significant numbers. In the light of the Investigation Team's recommendations, we concluded that steps must be taken to reduce this risk by upgrading the fire safety measures in these premises to up-to-date standards as far as practicable. We also concluded that this could only be done effectively through legislation.
The Investigation Team identified a need to upgrade the fire safety installations and means of escape in such commercial premises. After further consideration we concluded that, if the proposed legislation is to be complete, it should include requirements to upgrade the standard of means of access and of the use of fire resistant materials.
The provisions in the Bill will apply to premises with a total floor area exceeding 230 square metre where members of the public are likely to be present in significant numbers. Such premises include banks, off-course betting centres, jewellery and goldsmith shops, supermarkets, department stores and shopping arcades. The Director of Fire Services and the Director of Buildings, who will be the enforcement authorities, will be empowered to direct owners of the prescribed premises to implement specified fire safety measures. These measures, which will cover the provision of fire service installations and equipment, means of escape, means of access and the use of fire resistant materials, are already enshrined in codes of practice which have been issued by the authorities after extensive consultation.
We have maintained consultation with concerned business and professional bodies throughout the process of formulating this Bill. We have been encouraged by the level of support we received for these proposals. In fact, several of the larger commercial establishments have made significant efforts to anticipate this Bill, by taking appropriate action based on the recommendations on which we consulted them. This early, voluntary action is a clear endorsement of the fact that our proposals are sound and reasonable.