§ 2.57 p.m.
§ Lord CrookMy 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 there are now being sold imported DIY welding kits which do not conform to the British Standard and do not absorb all the dangerous radiation; and what steps they will take to secure that only items which comply with the British Standard and are so marked are sold.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade (Lord Trefgarne)My Lords, if, as I 1218 assume, the noble Lord is referring to ultra-violet or infra-red radiation, no cases are known where DIY welding kits are supplied and there are not also supplied with them face shields that meet the provisions of British Standard 679 of 1959. If he knows of any such cases, I should be grateful if he would supply details and they will be investigated to see whether any danger to the user exists.
§ Lord CrookMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Clearly, I shall provide him with the information that he requests. But may I say that the information is already official knowledge. It is clearly known to the British Standards Institution that these things are being dumped in this country. This is only one of four different things to which this present questioner has had a chance to draw attention.
§ Lord TrefgarneMy Lords, as I say, we do not know of any particular cases to which the noble Lord refers. As I said in my Answer, the problem would arise if these kits were supplied without the necessary face shields.