HL Deb 31 January 1985 vol 459 cc796-7

7.5 p.m.

Lord Lucas of Chilworth rose to move, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 17th December 1984 be approved. (6th Report from the joint Committee.).

The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. The proposed Dangerous Substances and Preparations (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations and the Proposed Novelties (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations implement the latest European Community directive on the marketing and use of dangerous substances. This requires member states to prohibit the use of two fire retardants in textiles coming into contact with the skin on the ground that they are toxic; and the use in sneezing powder of a number of potent plant extracts and other unpleasant substances on the ground that they can be toxic or carcinogenic.

Your Lordships will have seen the list of these products in the regulations and I hope that no noble Lord will require me to detail them verbally. In fact, the fire retardents in question have not been used in the United Kingdom industry for many years, and sneezing powders are not manufactured in this country. However, there have been some instances of sneezing powder containing the substances being imported and we want to ensure that none of these products is made here or imported in the future. We have consulted the industry and it has no objections to the proposed regulations. I therefore recommend that the House accepts these two sets of regulations without further ado. I beg to move.

Moved, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 17th December 1984 be approved.—(Lord Lucas of Chilworth.)

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, there will be no opposition from this side of the House to either of these proposed regulations. The first is clearly necessary and has been observed by British industry for many years, as the noble Lord said.

The second regulation causes me slightly less enthusiasm. I remember as a child visiting shops at the south end of Tottenham Court Road where sneezing powder was readily available. I do not remember it doing any harm. I suspect that producing such a comprehensive list of the sources of sneezing powder might actually create a little more private enterprise in sneezing powder than might otherwise have existed, but I suppose this is one of the prices we pay for membership of the European Community. I do not think we shall be objecting to it.

Lord Graham of Edmonton

Not to be sneezed at, my Lords.

On Question, Motion agreed to.