HC Deb 06 April 1971 vol 815 cc109-10W
Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory for domestic fire extinguishers to be labelled clearly so as to show for what kinds of fire their use would be either dangerous or ineffective.

Mr. Sharpies

At the request of the Home Office, the British Standards Institution is considering the formulation of criteria by which to assess the performance and reliability of the smaller fire extinguishers not at present covered by British Standards. Until this has been done it would be impracticable to impose

hospitals in England and Wales relating to the 1,164 persons who received hospital treatment for injuries caused by fireworks during the period 11th October to 7th November, 1970. Figures are also given the comparable four-week periods in 1969, 1968, 1967 and 1966, when the total numbers of persons involved were 1,636, 2,537, 2,214 and 2,302 respectively.

obligatory labelling requirements; but I think it is widely understood that small extinguishers are ineffective for a fire that has got beyond the incipient stage.