HL Deb 09 July 1968 vol 294 cc789-91
LORD CROOK

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that at least four young children have died during recent months from strangulation by the strong cords in the hoods of their anorak garments and that a number of others have narrowly escaped death during play; whether their attention has been called to the urgent advice of hospital doctors that all parents should at least remove immediately the toggles on the cords and preferably replace the nylon cords by light tape; and whether, since large numbers of these garments are worn by children and sold by many stores, they will support the request of the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents that the British Standards Institution should examine this matter urgently.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD STONHAM)

My Lords, I have read the reports of these tragic accidents with deep regret. Three of them occurred when the cords on the hoods of the children's anoraks became trapped on joints or other parts of the slides on which the children were playing. In the fourth case, the child's anorak hood became caught on barbed wire at the top of a garden fence. The Home Office has already asked the garment manufacturers, as a matter of urgency, to consider adopting certain safety modifications proposed by a consultant pædiatrician. In addition, the British Standards Institution are reviewing the British Standard for children's slides. Meanwhile, I would urge parents to adopt the safety precautions proposed by my noble friend, that is, to remove the toggles and to replace the nylon cord by very light; tape: this, preferably, should not be threaded right round a e hood, but stitched to the front of it on each side.

LORD CROOK

My Lords, may I thank my noble friend for that Answer, which is satisfactory at least so far as it goes? May I ask him if he would be good enough to inform me what the consultant pædiatrician reported?

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, the consultant pædiatrician at the Derbyshire Children's Hospital suggested that draw cords around the hoods of children's anoraks should be abandoned, that the breaking strain of the cords should not exceed 5 lb. and that the cord should simply be sewn on the side of the face-piece without taking it right round the hood.

LORD CROOK

My Lords, may I thank my noble friend again for that helpful answer? May I ask him whether he is aware that one great firm, the head of which is a Member of this House, were good enough to take all the toggles off in one day and subsequently redesigned their anoraks, and whether he is aware that others are not doing that? Would my noble friend take the necessary steps to further impress upon the trade that they must do this or alternatively the Government will take further steps?

LORD STONHAM

My Lord;, I am glad that Marks and Spencer have produced an elasticated face-piece and also, much more important, that they have given instructions for all toggles to be removed from the cords of anoraks for children aged three to ten. I hope that other retailers will follow suit.

LORD CROOK

My Lords, while that is very good so far as British manufacturers are concerned, may we have an assurance from the Government that they will stop the importation from Hong Kong and other places of anoraks made in this way with toggles?

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, I cannot give an assurance that we will stop the importation of anoraks, but we have already been in touch with the Hong Kong Government Office and have asked them to draw the attention of manufacturers there to the modifications which we insist should be made in the interests of safety.

LORD CROOK

My Lords—if your Lordships do not mind my persisting; I have been following this question for some months—my noble friend referred to the British Standards Institution. Is there now a specification? If so, is that about to be altered? Is any action being taken and is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, with which I am connected, taking any action to help?

LORD STONHAM

My Lords ROSPA has approached the women's panel of the British Standards Institution. I understand that there is no British Standard for anoraks, but if the B.S.I. decide to produce a standard for anoraks I am sure that it must include safety factors of the kind we now have under consideration.

LORD CROOK

May I thank my noble friend.

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