I’m sure that your households, like mine and many others these days, contain a plethora of mobile communication devices. In your homes, you will all have Assembly phones and Assembly iPads, and no doubt many of you will also have personal mobile phones and tablets of some sort. And, as most families no longer rely on one fixed landline phone in the house, it’s quite likely that each member of the family will also have their own mobile phone and portable computer device. And, if you have former smokers in the house, you probably have e-cigarette devices as well. Each of these devices, or each of these units, are reliant upon mobile chargers, which inevitably increase the risk of fires, simply because of the sheer numbers of them that we have, but these devices do also carry their very own specific risks.

By the very nature of the devices, we don’t tend to use them when we are asleep, so most of us charge them up overnight, and this, of course, means that we don’t notice if they start heating up. And how many people leave devices resting on something potentially flammable, like a cushion or a soft chair, when charging them? Indeed, some people are so attached to their mobile phones that they charge them under their pillows. And, because we have so many devices, we also purchase spare chargers. Manufacturers’ replacement chargers are often seen as expensive, and the availability of cheap alternatives purchased off the internet are often a tempting alternative. And I believe this is an issue that Mike Hedges wants to touch on in his contribution later, so I’ll leave it to him to elaborate on the inherent dangers that this presents.

So, what can we do to improve electrical safety? Interestingly, we have regulations that require private landlords to carry out annual safety checks on gas fittings and appliances, but no similar regime exists for electrical equipment. This could be a starting point. In the last Assembly, there was recognition by the Welsh Government that regulation would be beneficial from a fire safety perspective, but to date this remains an outstanding action. Such a precautionary regime would certainly serve to significantly reduce the risk to tenants while at a relatively low cost to landlords—around £100 to £150 for any designated test period—and would also protect their property investment.

It is, of course, an assumption that the increase in the use of mobile devices and chargers accounts for the increasing number of accidental fires, but the records kept by a number of fire authorities, bizarrely, don’t actually categorise this type of cause, whilst most still record fires for chimneys, which are now relatively rare. This is something that the Welsh Government could encourage fire authorities to change so that, at a minimum, we could get a handle on the extent of the problem.

Finally, Llywydd, whilst some form of regulation in the private rented sector will not provide protection to home owners, who, I have no doubt, will also forget the risks that go along with electrical equipment, particularly mobile devices, we can all look to familiarise ourselves with the potential dangers and be more responsible in terms of how we use electrical equipment and, just as importantly, what type of electrical equipment we buy. Since my discussions with Electrical Safety First, I’ve certainly changed my behaviour in relation to how I use electrical equipment and that which I buy.

In conclusion, Llywydd, what I’m hoping for in bringing forward this debate is a discussion on reviewed consideration of introducing a regulatory regime for electrical testing in the private rented sector; further research, including changes to the information recorded by fire authorities into the causes of fires; and a general public awareness-raising campaign supported by the Welsh Government on electrical fire prevention. Let’s act now to reduce unnecessary but everyday fire risks in our homes caused by ignorance around electrical safety. Thank you.