DR Philippa Whitford, MP for Central Ayrshire said: “It is poignant that it was the death of a disabled man in an Irvine Tower block fire in 1999 that led to Scotland having stricter rules than England regarding the noncombustibility of cladding materials, which explains why no council or local authority towers here have been found with Aluminium Composite Panels.
“The 2005 Act also enforced the inclusion of sprinkler systems in all new buildings above 18 metres, rather than 30 meters as it is in England.
“However, the time has surely come for these regulations to be applied to older towers and also to homes with vulnerable residents at increased risk of fire.
“A recent report suggests that residential tower blocks should be retrofitted with sprinkler systems, the efficiency of which appear to have improved greatly in recent years, and I know the Scottish Government was already considering this report and any additional evidence that comes from the Grenfell inquiry.
“It is not possible to say whether sprinklers would have made a difference in the Grenfell Fire, but there is no doubt that evidence suggests that sprinklers in high rise buildings can save lives and minimise destruction.”
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