BUILDING SAFETY, competence and resilience are at the heart of the Fire Protection Association’s (FPA) newly launched 2026-2027 Policy Manifesto, which was unveiled at the FIRE Conference 2026 on 5 November.

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IN ITS 41-page report Fire Safety in Prisons, published on 5 November, the Justice and Home Affairs Committee warns of the high risk of fire currently associated with prisons. The House of Lords Committee has called for greater transparency and action by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), stronger oversight of HMPPS by inspectorate bodies and also a review of the Crown Immunity of prisons.

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RAMSGATE-BASED business C Watkins Plumbing Limited has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £8,270 in costs in the wake of four workers having to escape from a fire that engulfed the roof of a 14-storey apartment building under construction in Surrey.

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THE FIRE Industry Association (FIA) has issued its Annual Report for 2026, duly detailing a 12-month period in which the Trade Association proceeded to strengthen and advance the fire safety industry.

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THE BUILDING Safety Regulator’s latest data for the 12-week rolling period to 1 November 2026 shows overall Gateway 2 application approvals rising to 92%, with 19,409 residential units clearing the Gateway. New higher-risk buildings and conversion approvals stood at 95% nationally and 97% in London, with existing building remediation approvals climbing to 93% nationally and 98% in the capital.

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WESTERN BUSINESS Media is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our founder Neill Western. Neill passed away last month, aged 68, following a brave battle with illness.

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FIRE CHIEFS are calling for the public to support firefighters ahead of a busy period as they work to keep communities safe. The call comes at the same time as official figures show a rise in the number of crew members being injured in attacks while responding to emergencies.

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THE BUILDING Safety Regulator is searching for a range of professionals – including fire safety specialists – to join its Building Advisory Committee, thereby strengthening the latter’s role in providing advice and ensuring continued and sustainable improvement for building safety.

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THE DEVASTATING ‘chimney effect’ that contributed towards the rapid spread of smoke and fire at London’s Grenfell Tower in June 2017 is being tackled by an enterprising research project orchestrated between specialists at the University of Hertfordshire and construction firm Ambar Kelly.

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BAFE, THE Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) have joined forces in calling on the Government to make independent third party certification mandatory for verifying the competence of fire safety providers alongside establishing a single authoritative register of appropriately certificated organisations.

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