§ Mr. Ronald Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will consider giving a ministerial broadcast on all television channels before 5th November advising parents and children not to burn foamed plastics on bonfires, due to the serious danger of inhaling toxic fumes emitted when foamed plastics are burned;
(2) having regard to the warning contained in Command Paper No. 5098 concerning the heat produced and evolution of smoke and toxic fumes from burning foamed plastic, what action has been taken to advertise the danger to children if furniture containing foamed plastic is burned on bonfires.
§ Mr. LaneThe warning in Cmnd. 5098 is concerned with the storage and industrial use of foamed plastic in buildings. I understand that the burning of this material in the open air is unlikely to present any greater hazards than in the case of some other materials likely to be found in a bonfire. General advice about bonfires was included in the Home Office's extensive publicity before Guy Fawkes Day.