New legislation which required all homes in Scotland to have interlinked smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will be delayed until February 2022 the Scottish Government has announced.
Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Rona Mackay welcomed the delay in the implementation, calling it “reassuring” for her constituents.
The Scottish Government confirmed that it will ask Parliament to approve a 12-month delay in the deadline to carry out this important safety work.
If the delay is approved, the new regulations, which extend the standard which currently applies to private rented property and new-builds to all homes in Scotland, will be moved back to February 2022.
The Scottish Government has already made over £15m of loan funding available for Social Landlords to procure and install the necessary alarms which should help ensure that social tenants are safe in their homes.
Rona Mackay MSP said:
“I welcome the news that the Scottish Government is seeking to delay these regulations, reassuring my constituents who contacted me directly on this matter.
“Fire safety is an absolute priority for all of us, and these improved regulations will mean that everyone in East Dunbartonshire will benefit from the same level of protection, whether they own their home or rent from a social or private landlord.
“However, given the impact of Covid-19, and the difficulties this legislation was likely to cause for people seeking to install new alarms, it’s correct that the Scottish Government has listened to my constituents’ concerns and decided to ask the Scottish Parliament to delay the deadline by 12 months.
“As the MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, I will continue to look closely at ensuring people have the support, information and advice they need to make changes in advance of the new standards coming into force in February 2022.”
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