§ 3.5 p.m.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will give details of the washing instructions prescribed by the relevant British Standards tests for non-flammability; and whether it is intended to make such a sew-in label a statutory requirement for all merchandise sold as non-flammable and carrying British Standard 3121.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD DERWENT)My Lords, I hope I can give the noble Baroness the information she wants, but, with great respect, I am in some difficulty because I think she has a drafting mistake in her Question, unless I have misunderstood it. Non-flammable fabrics come under British Standard 3120. British Standard 3121, to which the noble Baroness refers, is concerned with the performance requirements of fabrics described as of low flammability, and has appended to it a washing test which such fabrics must pass. This Standard also requires fabrics or garments presented as complying with it to bear the instruction, "Do not bleach", if their low flammability properties are deleteriously affected by bleaching. The possibility of requiring textile fabrics and garments which are claimed to be either nonflammable or flame-resistant to bear a similar warning is being examined in relation to possible regulations under 974 the Consumer Protection Act, 1961, prohibiting the sale of flammable nightwear.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord for his Answer. I knew that British Standard 3121 referred to low flammability, but I quite accept that I did not put that down in the Question. May I ask the noble Lord whether I understand him correctly in thinking that there will be no question of garments being sold to the public which are described either as "non-flammable" or as of "low flammability" unless those garments have stitched into them a sew-in label describing the washing and cleaning process?
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, I cannot quite give that undertaking at the moment, because conversations with the trades and the various associations, to which I referred the last time we discussed this matter, are not yet complete. We had been told by the associations that we should have their considered views by the end of last week. There are one or two cases, rather important cases, where we have not yet had their views because their own consultations have taken rather longer than we had expected. But I rather contemplate that the delay is a question only of days and not of months.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYIn paying the noble Lord the compliment, if he deems it a compliment, of thinking that we are both after the same thing in this particular respect, may I ask him whether he is aware that the industry—and I use a very wide term there—really desire to help on this matter, and that their great concern is that the Government will not rush into action without giving the industry time (and they have mentioned nine months or so to me) to make the necessary inquiries and take the necessary action to bring these things about?
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, I do not think that at this particular moment I can accept that nine months is really a suitable period of gestation for this subject. I think we might be able to do something—I rather hope we might be able to do something—rather sooner than that.
§ LORD AUCKLANDMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether these 975 instructions will apply to both hand washing and also washing machines, some of which take special types of washing powder?
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, the whole of these matters are being considered with the trade and the trade associations at this moment.