§ Mr. Terry Fieldsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government will include all concentrations of household bleach in the Child Resistant Packaging (Safety) Regulations 1986; what representations he has received for the inclusion of all household bleach in these regulations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardThe Government considered prescribing child resistant packaging for household bleach, but were advised by leading paediatricians that it never caused serious or lasting injury to young children who ingested it; and in any case it is so unpalatable that they would be likely to spit it out straight away. Representatives of consumers have expressed the view that household bleach should be included in the scope of the regulations, but in the circumstances I cannot justify doing so.