§ 7. Mr. CanavanTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received about new regulations on the fire safety of upholstered furniture.
§ Mr. ButcherThe proposals for new upholstered furniture regulations announced to the House on 11 343 January have been generally well received. A number of firms and other bodies have raised matters of commercial concern and technical detail, which we shall deal with in the drafting of the regulations.
An encouraging response was also received from the EC Commission, supporting our proposed action as a consumer safety measure, whilst expressing understandable concern about the need to avoid as far as possible the setting up of any barriers to trade within Europe.
§ Mr. CanavanI welcome the new regulations, but will the Minister bear in mind that an estimated 300 lives are lost every year because of the presence of killer foam and other combustible materials in household furniture? Is the Minister entirely satisfied that the proposed timetable for introducing the new regulations is adequate, in view of the likelihood that another 300 lives will be lost between now and February 1989 and a further 300 before February 1990, when the new regulations are due to come into effect?
§ Mr. ButcherI am broadly satisfied that the measures announced last month will satisfy nearly all the concerns of the House. I have a great deal of sympathy with the hon. Gentleman's argument, but he will understand that it is occasionally excruciatingly difficult to balance the paramount needs of consumer safety with a practical way of achieving them. The time frame of 1 March next year for foam and 1 March the year after for the covers is achievable. When we publish the draft regulations at the end of the month, as we agreed to do, we hope, and I think that we can fairly confidently expect, that the industry and the consumer associations will broadly welcome them.
§ Mr. ConwayMy hon. Friend's proposals to improve the quality of foam in furniture will be widely welcomed, but will he assure the House, first, that the quality of imports will be monitored to ensure that they meet the specifications, and, secondly, that his Department has not lost sight of the need to remind consumers of home safety, because even the higher quality foam will still be combustible and the new regulations will not solve the problem of fires in the home without individual control and responsibility?
§ Mr. ButcherI am delighted to tell my hon. Friend, and other hon. Members who have been concerned about this matter, that the regulations will bite on imports. The trading standards officers will be invited to take action on goods from wherever they come. The performance of modified foam, which could be acceptable under the test, will be continually monitored, but, having introduced the most rigorous set of regulations anywhere in the world, we should give the draft regulations a chance for the time being.
§ Mr. AshbyDoes my hon. Friend appreciate that, at a time when sales should be at their highest, but are at their lowest, the industry requires certainty in respect of the regulations? Will my hon. Friend consider how to clarify the regulations so that retailers are clear about the quality of goods being sold, because at the moment nobody is certain about the regulations?
§ Mr. ButcherMy hon. Friend is right. We must publish the draft regulations quickly. Ignition source 5 of BS 5852 is the test that we are minded to use on foam and we shall come to a view quickly on the direct match testing or the code of practice testing for covers.