§ 13. Mrs. Mannasked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the fact that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has accurate and detailed knowledge of the flammability of all materials, from 10 to 150 seconds in vertical line of 100 inches, and have figures of merit assessments as to non-flammability, if he will introduce legislation prescribing a system of labelling which will make these results of accurate research known to purchasers of materials.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI am not satisfied that compulsory labelling of textiles in accordance with this test would in itself be helpful to purchasers of materials.
§ Mrs. MannIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the women of America have forced their Government to label goods, such as materials and dresses, according to flammability and non-flammability? What is the good of the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research having these tests if they are not to be used? They are there to be used. If it is possible to label goods for washability, it is much more important that they should be labelled for flammability.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI am not sure that a lot of labels with complicated formulae on flammability would be of very much help to purchasers. It would depend very much on the material and the purposes for which it was bought. The Fire 538 Research Station is carrying out an investigation into this matter, and I shall await its report with interest.