Imported Goods (Safety) (Hansard, 13 January 1986)

§ Mr. Conal Gregory (York)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the death and injury sustained through the sale of dangerous imported consumer goods over the Christmas period. Christmas should be a time of happiness as we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. In too many homes this festive time has been marred by injuries received from imported goods, especially toys, and even by death. The present legislation, which does not require importers to show a duty of care that any goods have been checked on safety grounds, is clearly inadequate.

I urge you, Mr. Speaker, to recognise that the matter is so urgent that it should have priority over the business that has already been arranged for the House. The urgency stems from the fact that the goods which cause injury and death have not been prohibited from sale. Exporters from the far east are still shipping dangerous products to the United Kingdom and apparently not testing them against the criteria employed by the British Standards Institution. Britain cannot become the home of cheap, shoddy goods that have deadly consequences.

The debate requested is specific since it seeks to deal with dangerous imported consumer goods. New regulations are overdue, as foreshadowed in the Government's White Paper. Their absence from the statute book can be quantified in the human suffering endured in too many homes during the recess. This is the first opportunity to raise the subject in the House since Christmas. It is also an opportunity for all sides to recognise that prohibition notices and orders, together with voluntary codes of practice, have proved inadequate.

The subject is important. On 20 December, in Yorkshire, a five-month-old baby boy died as a direct consequence of playing with a dangerous imported toy. He was asphyxiated by the nylon hair on a toy pony imported from Taiwan. This was a new and tragic development since my hon. Friend the Minister responded to my Adjournment debate last year. Customs officers must have powers to seize and control dangerous imports, and trading standards officers must be given powers to protect the public. Such goods should not have the ability to maim and kill. Far too many non-United Kingdom goods, especially toys, purchased before Christmas and still being traded have potentially lethal consequences. We owe it to the nation to amend the legislation. I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, will permit the time to debate this matter.