§ Baroness Burton of CoventryMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the European Council of Consumer Affairs Ministers has any meetings arranged prior to or following that on 10th June, and what dates have now been arranged for meetings of the Consumers' Consultative Committee in 1987.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Lucas of Chilworth)My Lords, the Government understand that a progress report on the Toy Safety Directive may be made to the Council of Ministers on 7th April. We also understand that the Danish Presidency proposes to hold a Consumer Council on 10th November. The Consumers' Consultative Committee will meet on 11th-12th May, 9th-10th September, and 25th-26th November 1987. Meetings of the steering committee of the CCC will be held on a further four dates in 1987 and a number of working party meetings will be held throughout the year.
§ Baroness Burton of CoventryMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that helpful list of dates. Can he tell us what the Commission is doing to implement the resolution which was agreed at the October meeting of the Consumer Council and which stated that consumer interests should be more fully reflected in Community legislation? Does he recall that that same proposal urged that early measures should be taken? In view of that, can the Minister say whether on any of the dates he has mentioned this matter will now be on the agenda?
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, I appreciate and understand the concern of the noble Baroness. I think her concern is shared by the Select Committee of your Lordships' House and indeed by consumer organisations. However, I have to remind the House that the resolution does not require the Commission to make a report until the end of this year and so I can offer no grounds for optimism that the subject will appear on the agenda of the Consumer Council before then.
§ Baroness Burton of CoventryMy Lords, while being somewhat encouraged by the information that has been given this afternoon, and while believing that the Government are aware that the Consumers' Consultative Committee is frequently neither 1514 consulted nor informed about what has been decided, is the Minister himself aware that an important announcement by the Commission about their intention to bring forward a directive on a general obligation to market safe products was reported in the Financial Times on 19th February? Is he aware that no mention of that fact was made at the meeting of the Consumers' Consultative Committee on the day before, 18th February? Would the Minister feel able to comment on this lack of communication with the Consumers' Consultative Committee?
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, the noble Baroness puts me in a rather difficult position because I think she will recall that the Government have no locus with the CCC and therefore are not party to any of their discussions. As regards the newspaper report of 19th February, my understanding is that this was not a statement made by the Commission as such: it was more of an announcement that this could be a matter that the Commission would be dealing with.
As I have suggested, we do not have minutes of the CCC meetings and therefore it is difficult for me to say anything about what happened at that meeting. If the noble Baroness or her advisers can acquaint me with exactly what did take place at that meeting, I might be able to take the matter forward and indeed I should be pleased so to do.
§ Lord MolloyMy Lords, when the European Council of Consumer Affairs Ministers meet, do they not seek any guidance or any information from the lands whence they come? For example, they might seek information from our committee, to which the noble Baroness has referred. Or do they meet on a "hit or miss" basis, with no planned and sensible intelligence gathered so that they can deal with recommendations based on the suggestions of the French, the British, the Italians or whoever else may be involved in European Community consumer affairs? I should have thought that our committee on consumer affairs ought to be regularly consulted, as indicated by the noble Baroness.
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, embraces two separate issues. I have explained that we have no standing in the CCC—the Government are not represented there—and so what they do is outside any jurisdiction. I have also explained that the Commission are required by the resolution of last October to report the outcome of their deliberations on the implementation of consumer interests throughout the Community's directives. I have explained that the steering committee will be meeting on four occasions and that the working party of that body will be meeting throughout the year. That is how the matter will be taken forward.
§ Baroness Burton of CoventryMy Lords, while very much appreciating the way the Minister has answered these questions today, may I ask him whether he is aware that, if I have the information as to what has taken place in that committee, I think it not unlikely that he will have it? May I further be so bold as to ask him whether he will inquire within his own 1515 department about this, because I think he may find that the information is available there?
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, I am always surprised that the noble Baroness has information about meetings of the CCC, and indeed about consumer matters in the Commission, long before I get such information. She is extremely well informed in that area—
§ Lord Lucas of Chilworth—and therefore I am always grateful to her for the information she gives me. We do not have information as to what happened at the meeting of the 18th February, but we shall press to see what information we can get, and no doubt the noble Baroness will do likewise.