Publication - Consultation paper
Fire and smoke alarms in Scottish homes consultation: interim equality impact assessment
Assessment published in connection with consultation on new standards for fire and smoke alarms in Scottish housing across all tenures.
Stage 2: Data and evidence gathering, involvement and consultation
Include here the results of your evidence gathering (including framing exercise), including qualitative and quantitative data and the source of that information, whether national statistics, surveys or consultations with relevant equality groups.
| Characteristic [3] | Evidence gathered and Strength/quality of evidence | Source | Data gaps identified and action taken |
| Age | Social rented households in Scotland in 2015 contained adults across a range of age categories (as measured by highest income householder), with 28% having a highest income householder aged 45 to 59 years, 21% having a highest income householder aged 60 to 74 years, and 17% having a highest income householder aged 35 to 44 years. 21% were between 16 and 24 years and 12% over 75 years. In the owner occupied sector there is a split in terms of age group between those who own their property outright and those who own with the help of a mortgage. 27% of households who own their home outright have a highest income householder aged over 75 and 45% have a highest income household aged 60-74. In contrast, those owning with a mortgage are likely to have a younger highest income householder – with 17% aged 24-35, 42% aged 35-44 and 42% aged 45-59. As a result the owner occupied sector as a whole contains adults across a range of age categories with the most common age group for the highest income householder in this tenure being 45-59. Older people have a higher rate of fire causalities – in 2015-16, there were 282 non-fatal fire causalities per 1 million people aged 60 and over, compared to 222 non-fatal causalities per 1 million of the population as a whole. The difference in relation to fatality rates is even more pronounced – the rate of fire fatalities for people aged 60 and over, at 18.5 in 2015-16, was more than double that for the population as a whole (8.4) Note that while this relates to all fires, and not just dwelling fires, since 39 of the 45 fatalities were from dwelling fires, this pattern is likely to apply to dwelling fires as well. |
Scottish Household Survey 2015 Scottish Fire and Rescue Statistics, 2015-16 |
Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. As people aged 60 and over have much higher causalty rates from fires, and in particular fatal casualty rates, this group is likely to benefit most. As part of the consultation, we will seek views from organisations representing people of different age groups |
| Disability | Around 42% of households in Scotland contain at least one person who is long-term sick or disabled ( LTSD). This figure covers all household members, including children. There is no data on disability in the published Scottish Fire and Rescue Services statistics. |
2015 Scottish Household Survey | Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. In the event of fire, a disabled person may have more difficulty exiting the property. These policy proposals are likely to be of benefit to the 42% of households containing at least one LTSD person. As part of the consultation, we will seek views from organisations representing disabled people. |
| Sex | The Scottish Household Survey shows that 42% of all Scottish households are headed by a female. Scottish Fire and Rescue Statistics show that the casualty rate from fires is higher for males than females: in 2015-16, there were 268 non-fatal casualties per 1 million men, compared with 197 per 1 million women, while there were 9.6 fatal causalities per 1 million men, compared with 6.9 per 1 million women. (As discussed under the age entry, these figures relate to all fires, but since 39 of the 45 fire fatalities were in dwelling fires, the pattern is likely to be the same in dwelling fires). |
2015 Scottish Household Survey Scottish Fire and Rescue Statistics, 2015-16 |
Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. As the fatal and non-fatal fire casualty rates are higher for men, they are likely to benefit more. As part of the consultation, we will seek views on whether the policy proposals are likely to have any disproportionate effects on people because of their gender. |
| Pregnancy and Maternity | There is no information in either the SHCS or the published Scottish Fire and Rescue Service statistics relating to pregnancy | Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. Those who are pregnant will benefit in line all other occupants of houses. As part of the consultation, we will seek views on whether policy proposals will have any disproportionate effects on people because of pregnancy and maternity. |
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| Gender Reassignment | We do not have housing or fire data specific to gender reassignment but a Scottish Transgender Alliance Survey in 2012 reported that 22% of the respondents to their survey were owner occupiers – a higher proportion than were in the private rented sector. | Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. People under the gender reassignment protected characteristic will benefit in line with other occupants of houses. As part of the consultation, we will seek views on whether the policy proposals are likely to have any disproportionate effects on people under the gender reassignment protected characteristic. |
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| Sexual Orientation | There is limited information on housing tenure for sexual orientation. This information was not collected in the census or the SHCS, and housing providers do not routinely gather such data. There is also no data on this in the published Scottish Fire and Rescue Services statistics. | Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. Regardless of a person’s sexual orientation, they will benefit in line with all other occupants of houses. As part of the consultation, we will seek views from Stonewall and others on whether the policy proposals are likely to have any disproportionate effects on people due to their sexual orientation. |
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| Race | On census day 2011 there were approximately 200,000 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic ( BAME) people in Scotland, making up just over 4% of the population. The SHCS sample is not sufficiently large to allow a breakdown of the regulated groups by ethnicity and to analyse the equality impact of the proposed policy on ethnic minorities, even with two years of data combined. Data available from the Census indicates that BAME communities are largely concentrated in urban locations. There is also no data on this in the published Scottish Fire and Rescue Services statistics. |
Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. People of all races are likely to benefit equally in line with all other occupants of houses. As part of the consultation, we will seek views from the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations ( CEMVO) and others on whether the policy proposals are likely to have any disproportionate effects on people due to their race. |
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| Religion or Belief | According to the 2011 Census, in Scotland, 59% of the population report having a religion: 56% report as being Christian, 1.4% as being Muslim. Minority religion groups (Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh) tend to be concentrated in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Information relating to the housing of those with religious beliefs is limited. Due to sample size constraints, it is not possible to analyse affected households by religious belief using the SHCS, even when two years of data are merged. Census data indicates that minority religions are largely concentrated in urban areas. |
2011 Census | Requiring all households to meet the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms already applicable in the private rented sector will result in occupiers living in safer homes with a lower risk of fire than was previously the case. People of all religions and beliefs are likely to benefit equally in line with other occupants of houses. As part of the consultation, we will seek views on whether the policy proposals are likely to have any disproportionate effects on people of religion or belief. |
| Marriage and Civil Partnership (the Scottish Government does not require assessment against this protected characteristic unless the policy or practice relates to work, for example HR policies and practices - refer to Definitions of Protected Characteristics document for details) |
This policy does not relate to work therefore we have not considered it for this EQIA. |
Contact
Email: Agnes Meany, agnes.meany@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000 – Central Enquiry Unit
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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