Margaret Ritchie MP has tabled an Early Day Motion demanding that the government ensures renters up and down the country are properly protected from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The EDM says “that this House notes with concern that around 50 people a year still die as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning” and goes on to highlight “the recent research undertaken at Liverpool John Moores University which indicates it is low income households that are most at risk of monoxide poisoning”.
Co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group, Barry Sheerman MP expressed his support for the EDM. He said: ”This motion is a timely reminder that more can be done to stop preventable deaths in the UK. By harmonising regulations for carbon monoxide alarms across the nations of the UK, we can put an end to the needless suffering caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. ”
He added: ”The APPCOG has recommended that all homes in the private rented sector are fitted with standard-compliant CO alarms since the publication of our report Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in 2011, so we very much hope that the government will follow Scotland’s lead and ensure that householders in the English rented sector are provided with equal levels of protection.”
The research carried out at John Moores University triggered the EDM, as current legislation in England only requires landlords to fit carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with solid fuel burning appliances. The All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group welcomes the Early Day Motion, having campaigned for better household protections since this legislation was brought in.
Margaret Ritchie MP has campaigned frequently for better safety and awareness around the dangers of carbon monoxide. The EDM asks that the “Government, the Welsh Executive and the Northern Ireland Executive to follow the example of the Scottish Government and require all landlords to install carbon monoxide detectors in rented properties.”
