HL Deb 03 March 1976 vol 368 cc1007-9

2.50 p.m.

Lord AIREDALE

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 will forthwith seek power to enable requirements to be imposed to ensure that life-saving equipment shall be fit for its intended purpose, rather than await the comments on this proposal invited in paragraph 73 of the Green Paper Consumer Safety.

Lord JACQUES

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government are not aware of any life-saving equipment now on sale which would call for the exercise of the power proposed in paragraph 73 of the Green Paper. The example to which that Paper refers does not relate to any product currently or recently on sale. There is, therefore, no justification for seeking this power in advance of the introduction of more comprehensive legislation of the kind outlined in the Paper.

Lord AIREDALE

My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Lord, but with boating on the increase and deaths by drowning happening every year, will the Government watch this position very carefully?

Lord JACQUES

Certainly, my Lords. There was a study of this problem in 1966, and included in the study group were the Consumers Council, the British Standards Institute and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents aswell as representatives of users of life-saving equipment. They came to the conclusion that the time was not ripe for legislation or regulation and that what was needed was publicity and education. As a result, the Ministry issued a leaflet and a booklet; each of these has had a circulation of 600,000. The matter is again under consideration by the Government, and they are urgently considering whether another study group should be set up in the very near future.

Lord JANNER

My Lords, will my noble friend say whether he is prepared to institute a further publicity campaign in order that this matter should be dealt with, pending the decision that will be arrived at with regard to the provision of the instruments?

Lord JACQUES

My Lords, we are still in thispublicity campaign; the time is not ripe for starting another one. I would say we have done exceptionally well to have a circulation of 1,200,000 for the leaflet and the booklet. The question of whether there shall be further publicity will naturally arise from the new study group which will probably be set up.

Lord DAVIES of LEEK

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that my supplementary question may be completely irrelevant? Nevertheless, talking of safety, is it not about time to take the elementary precaution of a nylon rope being placed in every house that is two storeys high, because that could save many lives so far as accidents in the home are concerned?

Lord JACQUES

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for the publicity he has given to the idea.

Viscount ST. DAVIDS

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the standard lifebelt, which has been used for so many years at sea, and so far as I am aware by all authorities on the banks of the inland waterways, is the most perfect instrument for saving life if it is thrown by an expert? But it almost never is; it is either thrown far too far away to be of any possible use, or it neatly hits the victim on the head, which knocks him out and lets the drowning go off quietly without any further bother. WillHer Majesty's Government consider looking into the question of producing something which may be of slightly less use to the victim but can at least be thrown in a way in which it is useful to him?

Lord JACQUES

My Lords, a variety of equipment is available, some of it to the standards under the merchant shipping rules, some to the standards under the British Standards Institute, and some to the standard of the Ship and Boat Builders'National Federation. The legal requirement applies only to cases where theship is in excess of 45 feet. In all other cases there is complete freedom to get the kind of equipment required. The Government can provide all these classifications, but they cannot have a man on every bank and at every seashore to throw the instrument.