§ 12. Mrs. Sally Oppenheimasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce measures to comply with the Consumer Protection Charter adopted by the Council of Europe on 28th May 1973.
§ Mr. LaneI understand that this charter is still being considered by the Council's Committee of Ministers, but so far as measures to ensure the safety of consumer goods are concerned, we shall pay proper regard to its general principles.
§ Mrs. OppenheimIs my hon. Friend aware that in 1971, the latest year for which figures are available, 8,170 children were treated in hospitals in England and Wales for the toxic effects of non-medicinal substances? Is he satisfied at having to make judgments on the need for regulations on the basis of figures already 18 months old?
§ Mr. LaneWe never have figures as up-to-date as we should like. I know that it is a very serious problem, and I am grateful for all that my hon. Friend does to keep it in our minds. We are now involved in particular in work in the EEC to prepare new directives for the safety and labelling of products such as the household products that my hon. Friend particularly has in mind.
§ Mr. Greville JannerIs the Minister aware that the number of young children who are accidentally poisoned each year is growing considerably and that the Government are doing absolutely nothing to introduce regulations requiring poisons to be sold only in child-resistant containers?
§ Mr. LaneI do not accept that for a moment. It is not a simple matter to have a totally safe system where children are involved. We must produce sensible regulations, steadily more effective, and increase our publicity—which we are doing—so that potentially dangerous things are kept out of children's reach.