TONY Blair has sent a message of condolence to the Hapton fire tragedy family -- and said the deaths could strengthen the case for sprinklers in all new homes.

The Prime Minister spoke as Burnley MP Peter Pike raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday saying that the deaths of the three young sisters had reinforced the case for such action.

He raised the issue with Mr Blair and praised the "heroic" efforts of Jayne Waddington, 40, in trying to rescue her daughters Louise, 11, Hayley, 10, and Gemma, seven, when the fire broke out in their home in Lancaster Drive last Friday night.

The Commons exchange came as it was announced that an assembly of remembrance is to be held for the family and school friends of the three sisters.

The service is being held at Padiham County Primary School tomorrow afternoon and will see more than 200 pupils taking part.

Fellow pupils who sang in the school choir alongside Louise and Hayley will be singing three of the girls' favourite hymns and reading out personal tributes.

They will include Hayley's wishes for the future which she wrote in class just before Christmas and a song from her favourite band Busted. Her family will be present at the service.

Mr Pike told the Prime Minister that Lancashire's Chief Fire Officer, Peter Holland, was supporting a campaign to improve the building regulations in terms of fire safety for new houses.

This included installing sprinklers in new properties beginning with those occupied by vulnerable people.

Mr Blair sent his condolences to the family and said the government was considering putting a requirement for sprinklers in new homes.

He said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the three young victims of this horrific tragedy.

"At the moment investigations into that and whether if the home had been fitted with a sprinkler this could have been avoided are still continuing."

Mr Blair said the government had commissioned an investigation into whether sprinkler systems would be effective in dousing fires in residential properties.

He added: "We can take forward any lessons and indications from local people and the fire services as to what they think. There well may be a case for altering this in respect of properties where particularly vulnerable people are housed.

"Whether that means you extend that even further is a more difficult question."

Mr Pike said after the exchange: "The Prime Minister accepted the case that there could be a real problem following the tragedy in Padiham.

"Its now up to us to make that case stronger.

"Sprinklers could save lives and although some people may say they could be sparked unnecessarily by smoke or steam a wet kitchen seems to me a far better result than three dead children."

The sisters' parents Barry and Jayne will be accompanied by close family and friends at the service.

The three hymns, "He'll be There", "Everywhere Around Me", and "This Little Light of Mine", will be sang by the whole school, led by the school's choir.

At the end of the service, a song from Hayley's favourite band, Busted, will be played.

Headteacher John Hughes said: "The service is going to be a celebration of their lives. We want to make it quite positive for the pupils and parents.

"The children will go back to class for the last half an hour so they can talk to friends and teachers if they want to do so. We want them to leave school thinking it was positive."

An inquest is expected to be opened by East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor on tomorrow.

The girls' funeral has been arranged to take place at St John's Church, Padiham, on Monday, at 1.30pm, before the burial takes place at Padiham cemetery at 2.30pm.