§ Mr. Cadburyasked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the British Safety Council for improving safety on escalators.
§ Mr. Mayhew[pursuant to his reply, 16 November 1979, c. 790]: I refer to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Mr. Beaumont-Dark) and the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Smith) on 13 July, and to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 27 July. The Health and Safety Executive has since been in correspondence with the British Safety Council about its recommendations, and is now making arrangements for the whole problem to be discussed with representatives of the local authorities which are responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation in offices and shops.
Meanwhile the British Standards Institution, having studied comments received from Government Departments and agencies, including the Health and Safety Executive, and from other interested organisations, has presented comprehensive comments on the draft European standard specification for escalator safety 323W to the European Standards Organisation (CEN), which is now studying the comments received from all its member organisations. I am informed that the British Safety Council has only recently submitted its comments on the draft European Standard Specification to the British Standards Institution and that these will be considered at the next meeting of the relevant technical committee, following which it would be possible for the British Standards Institution to submit supplementary comments to the European Standards Organisation.