China's legislature on Tuesday adopted an amendment to the fire control law in a bid to prevent fire disasters and protect the public.

The law also made clear that the contract side, the designer, the constructor and supervisor of a project should be responsible for its fire control design and construction.

The fire control design of large-scale building projects for places where people meet should be sent to the public security department for approval, it said. Projects that were not sent for or failed to win approval should not be constructed.

Although some legislators wanted compulsory public liability insurance against fire disasters, the final version only says the nation "encourages" venues where the public meet and companies dealing in combustible and explosive materials to do so.

The fifth session of the 11th National People's Congress Standing Committee backed the revision and it will come into effect on May 1, 2009.

In the new edition, the law says that fire control should follow the principles of "government taking the leadership, departments supervising, the working place taking full responsibility and citizens being actively involved".

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2008)