MPs demand that Government protects low income families from carbon monoxide poisoning with Early Day Motion
MPs from across the political spectrum have called on the Government to protect people in low income households and renters from CO poisoning.
The EDM says “This House notes with concern that around 30 people a year still die as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning and many more may unknowingly be poisoned; notes that there has never been a fatality related to carbon monoxide poisoning where an audible CO alarm, tested to the standard BS EN 50291, was present; acknowledges the cost of these devices has significantly decreased since the introduction of the Building Regulations in 2010; highlights the recent research undertaken at Liverpool John Moores University which indicates it is low income households who are most at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning; notes the Government’s stated intention in its White Paper “Fixing our broken housing market” to improve safeguards in the private rented sector; and calls on the Government, the Welsh Executive and the Northern Ireland Executive to implement similar regulations that are now in operation in Scotland and to require all landlords to install carbon monoxide detectors, in all rented properties, as part of a package of measures to achieve its aim of improved safeguards for people living in the rented homes.”
Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group, Margaret Ritchie MP, said “Sadly, my constituency has experienced loss to CO poisoning, and I find it startling that regulations implemented in Scotland which will be saving lives have not been implemented across the rest of Britain and Northern Ireland. It is a silent killer. You can’t see it, smell or taste it, but it can kill without warning. A carbon monoxide alarm could save someone’s life and installing them should be mandatory to protect renters from this silent killer.”
