Dangerous Products: EC Information System (Hansard, 1 December 1988)

§ The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Lord Young of Graffham)
My Lords, negotiations continue within the Commission to find a solution to the current deadlock on the renewal of the rapid exchange system. Meanwhile, consumers are protected by the continuing operation of the system on an informal basis. Following cancellation of the planned November meeting, the future of the European home and leisure accident surveillance system is likely to be considered at the next Consumer Council meeting, which the Spanish presidency has provisionally scheduled for April 1989.

§ Baroness Burton of Coventry
My Lords, believing that the Government themselves wish for renewal of the system referred to in the Question, perhaps I may ask whether the House can be told whether the deadlock is being caused by Spain and, if so, whether other countries support Spain in its objections.
As regards the second point—the surveillance scheme—the Minister has just told the House that the original meeting of the Consumer Council planned for November has been fixed provisionally for April. I hope it takes place then. That is five months. In the meantime, can the Government give all support possible to EHLASS and press the Commission to reallocate resources to it?

§ Lord Young of Graffham
My Lords, the noble Baroness is absolutely right. In fact, it is Spain which is virtually alone among member states in wishing to centralise the existing rapid exchange system. I should explain to your Lordships' House that the rapid exchange system is a system for notifying all countries as quickly as possible about dangerous products.
Spain is of the opinion that we should centralise the system and give more power to a committee of experts in the Community, in which they would be in a position to ban particular products throughout the Community. That would certainly make the system anything but rapid.
402 The EHLASS system is indeed a system which collects information and one which the Commission has been running with a slight lack of enthusiasm. It is a system which looks at accidents throughout the home and at work and it is one which will only become useful after a number of years. We very much hope that the Commission will start seriously to address its particular role and make available the necessary resources.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords. can the Minister say whether the Commission is presently receiving data from the different member states and that it is purely through a lack of resources that it is unable really to do anything with such data? If that is the case, can the Minister confirm that the Government will press the Commission to reallocate the resources, which presumably are the reason it is unable to make the scheme work?

§ Lord Young of Graffham
Yes, my Lords. I should not have thought that a lack of resources would be a problem for the Commission. I very much hope that it will find ways of reallocating its resources to ensure that it can process, analyse and present the information which is being brought together in this way.

§ Baroness Burton of Coventry
My Lords, is the Minister aware that consumer organisations speak very highly of the work done by his department in this connection and that they feel it is much better than what is being done by the Commission'? However, after that compliment, may I ask the Minister whether, if the deadlock being put up by Spain at the moment is resolved in the near future, it will be necessary to wait until April for the matter to be settled?

§ Lord Young of Graffham
My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Baroness. In some ways I wish that she had stopped half-way through her question. However, the answer to the second half of her remarks is that we are endeavouring to persuade the Spaniards to proceed. But they have the presidency during the next six months and that gives them considerable latitude with regard to the agenda.