Scottish Government smoke alarm legislation to be delayed until 2022 after backlash
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THE Scottish Government has announced that its smoke alarm legislation will be delayed by 12 months after backlash over a lack of public awareness, cost and timing.
It was set to be a legal requirement for all Scottish homes to have interlinked smoke and carbon monoxide alarms by February 2021. That date will now be February 2022, with the Scottish Government saying that is "due to the impact of coronavirus".
The delay has been welcomed by Moray's SNP MSP Richard Lochhead, as well as the area's Conservative MP Douglas Ross – who suggested pushing the date back to 2022 at the start of the week – and comes after concerns over the short four-month window home owners had to implement changes .
There were also worries about the cost of the changes, set to be around £220, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as elderly people allowing tradespeople into their homes.
Under the new rules, home owners must have a ceiling-mounted smoke alarm in their living room, hallways and landings, a heat alarm in every kitchen and carbon monoxide alarms by all fixed combustion appliances such as boilers and wood burners.
Douglas Ross welcomed the delay but said many Scots had been caused unnecessary stress, with some having only found out about the new rules courtesy of leaflets coming through their door.
He said: "This delay until 2022 will come as a relief to many people in Moray, and indeed across Scotland, who were worried about this.
“Welcome though this is, it should not have taken an outcry from the public and from politicians for the SNP government to see this coming. A lot of people were left concerned about the time frame and potential costs, it’s now clear this worry could have been avoided.
“There was a complete lack of communication from the Scottish Government and people only found out when leaflets from private operators looking for work landed in their letterboxes.
“I am glad that common sense has now prevailed and home owners will be given more time to comply. This will be particularly reassuring for older and vulnerable residents who were distressed at the thought of having to comply with these rules within a matter of months.”
Moray's SNP MSP Richard Lochhead also welcomed the delay, while stressing that the legal duty in terms of compliance lies with local councils, and not home owners.
He said: “It is right that fire safety is a priority for the Scottish Government and ministers remain committed to implementing these improved regulations.
“However, covid-19 will undoubtedly create a number of difficulties for people seeking to install new alarms and this is something I’ve discussed at length with the housing minister. Having urged him to extend the deadline, I’m pleased that he has listened to those concerns and will now ask the Scottish Parliament to delay the implementation of these regulations until 2022.
“It’s important to note that the legal duty on complying with these regulations lies with local authorities and not individual home owners.
“I also welcome the assurances given by the Scottish Government that ministers will work hard to support households to ensure appropriate alarms are installed in order to improve the safety of homes across the country.”
