Home Safety (Hansard, 7 July 2003)

§ Mr. Best
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are for alternative campaigns and materials following the decision to withdraw free literature on home safety. [122534]

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
It is not true to say that DTI is withdrawing all free literature or from home safety campaigns. What we have done is to focus our limited resources onto areas where we believe DTI can make an impact and that are line with the DTI's aim of promoting prosperity for all.
The Department continues to provide information to support work undertaken by practitioners in a number of areas including, falls prevention and firework safety. In addition we continue to support RoSPA and others in their work to reduce home accidents.

§ Mr. Best
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the funding used to maintain the Home and Leisure Surveillance System will be transferred to the Department of Health to support the development of their injury data system. [122535]

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
As the decision to stop funding HASS was the result of resource constraints within the DTI, I have no plans to transfer funding to the Department of Health. However, I have offered to support initiatives that the Department of Health might launch to strengthen the surveillance of accidental injury at regional and local levels in the NHS.

§ Mr. Best
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the decisions(a) to scrap the Home and Leisure Surveillance Systems and (b) to withdraw free literature on home and home safety campaigns. [122556]

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
On 2 May 2003, my hon. Friend the then Minister for consumer affairs, announced that the DTI will no longer collect statistics on the causes and nature of home and leisure accidents. Following increased pressure on resources and the need to focus on the Department's core priorities, hard decisions had to be made on what to stop. The collection of accident statistics did not fit with these priorities.
571W
It is not true to say that DTI is withdrawing all free literature or from home safety campaigns. What we have done is to focus our limited resources onto areas where we believe DTI can make an impact and that are in line with the DTI's aim of promoting prosperity for all. The Department continues to provide information to support work undertaken by practitioners in areas such as falls prevention and fireworks safety.