HC Deb 22 July 1987 vol 120 cc184-5W
Mr. Patrick Thompson

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 will be brought into effect.

Mr. Maude

My noble Friend intends to make a commencement order under section 50(2) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to bring into force on 1 October 1987 part II together with its related provisions in parts IV and V and schedules 2, 4 and 5. Section 10 in part II creates the general safety requirement, which requires consumer goods to be reasonably safe.

The same commencement order will bring the product liability provisions into effect on 1 March 1988 (part I and schedule 1, together with the related provisions of part V and schedules 4 and 5). Businesses will need rather more time to prepare themselves for the changes to product liability and therefore sufficient time has been allowed for this purpose. However, my Department will be consulting interested parties urgently about the dates of implementation.

A guidance leaflet for manufacturers will be published explaining the way in which the safety provisions of the Act will work. Regulations ancillary to the general safety requirement will be laid at the appropriate time.

On misleading prices (part III of the Act) we expect to consult interested parties on a revised draft of the code of practice and any draft regulations in the autumn.

It is presently envisaged that section 36 and schedule 3, which makes amendments to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, will be brought into force on 1 March 1988.

United Kingdom trade in textiles and clothing1: 1970 to 1986 Imports
£ million
France Belgium/Luxembourg Netherlands Federal Republic of Germany Italy Irish Republic Denmark Greece Portugal Spain Rest of World European Community2
1970 11.9 14.7 14.7 21.9 20.6 38.1 7.7 0.2 20.3 3.2 232.3 153.5
1971 14.5 18.6 14.2 31.7 23.2 46.3 10.9 0.3 31.7 4.8 307.0 196.2
1972 19.3 23.0 16.0 33.9 26.4 55.7 15.1 0.4 42.4 4.6 351.7 236.9
1973 30.2 27.8 23.3 56.1 38.7 80.8 19.8 1.1 67.9 4.7 497.4 350.4
1974 42.7 35.0 32.0 73.1 60.6 108.0 19.9 4.6 82.8 7.2 624.1 465.8
1975 53.0 47.1 29.3 76.9 84.4 106.8 21.5 3.3 78.4 7.9 679.1 508.4
1976 66.9 65.9 43.1 116.1 128.1 132.9 23.6 8.1 78.4 9.9 621.9 673.2
1977 100.7 79.9 55.4 140.1 190.4 173.1 23.9 12.8 86.9 13.2 1,008.2 876.3
1978 138.2 123.5 87.1 190.4 272.5 194.5 28.9 18.9 118.6 22.1 1,179.6 1,194.7
1979 151.6 142.0 96.5 236.7 323.8 205.4 37.0 23.1 157.9 25.2 1,486.1 1,399.2
1980 140.7 149.0 91.2 222.9 264.0 197.4 37.3 27.9 146.3 23.5 1,474.4 1,300.2
1981 166.5 198.6 107.3 291.8 319.7 195.7 46.1 37.2 140.2 32.1 1,664.7 1,535.3
1982 190.4 212.1 122.5 374.3 374.1 197.5 48.7 37.1 184.7 36.1 1,649.9 1,777.6
1983 227.3 273.2 145.4 447.8 472.2 211.4 57.3 39.8 218.7 43.3 1,785.1 2,136.4
1984 288.7 326.7 188.1 548.5 565.2 220.6 67.2 52.8 267.7 53.9 2,137.6 2,579.5
1985 339.2 358.1 242.3 646.3 620.8 238.5 70.7 60.8 305.8 59.1 1,180.6 2,941.5
19863 341.5 398.2 293.3 677.8 669.5 260.0 74.1 71.4 309.5 59.8 2,394.3 3,155.0
1 Textiles and clothing defined as Divisons 65 and 84 of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC).
2 European Community total includes all member states as at 1 January 1987 throughout.
3 Provisional figures.

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

United Kingdom trade in textiles and clothing1: 1970 to 1986—Exports
£ million
France Belgium/Luxembourg Netherlands Federal Republic of Germany Italy Irish Republic Denmark Greece Portugal Spain Rest of World European Community1
1970 11.8 8.0 16.3 31.1 12.5 36.3 25.0 2.7 6.3 4.2 365.2 154.1
1971 13.4 8.2 15.6 34.3 10.4 41.9 26.5 2.7 8.6 3.2 390.3 164.7
1972 19.6 11.9 16.9 35.7 11.9 47.8 30.8 3.0 8.7 4.4 399.0 190.7
1973 28.1 18.2 21.9 45.4 17.2 67.5 44.0 3.9 14.4 7.0 501.5 267.6
1974 37.1 23.3 32.0 58.8 22.9 88.8 43.6 3.6 22.6 8.2 633.8 340.9
1975 45.2 27.8 41.3 71.5 21.4 92.3 43.6 3.6 13.9 7.7 596.2 368.3
1976 79.2 49.7 67.8 106.0 37.8 126.9 70.2 5.8 20.5 10.0 772.0 573.8
1977 105.7 69.8 96.2 152.0 47.2 168.1 79.8 9.7 19.9 10.3 986.3 758.8
1978 127.5 80.5 111.3 175.3 55.9 219.4 69.6 12.3 16.3 6.6 1,032.6 874.7
1979 164.0 94.3 124.6 196.6 80.7 265.6 73.2 14.1 18.7 11.6 1,047.1 1,043.4
1980 179.5 100.0 129.2 233.1 109.0 155.4 58.8 11.2 22.9 13.6 1,052.4 1,118.2
1981 159.0 81.6 112.0 188.6 94.8 254.9 43.2 11.9 17.5 11.9 1,074.0 975.3
1982 165.0 83.1 96.9 177.6 84.9 267.3 47.2 13.9 19.4 15.2 1,061.3 970.6
1983 172.9 85.5 105.2 206.0 99.3 288.5 45.6 14.3 19.7 16.4 1.0968 1,053.4
1984 194.5 95.8 112.9 245.7 128.1 301.1 54.4 17.3 17.7 14.2 1,299.4 1,181.8
1985 118.2 106.1 133.7 268.5 147.8 326.0 67.8 21.2 24.9 16.3 1,531.2 1,349.5
19863 268.9 121.5 147.0 335.7 148.9 345.8 74.2 17.6 30.2 24.9 1,425.0 1,514.8
1 Textiles and clothing defined as Divisions 65 and 84 of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC).
2 European Community total includes all member states as at 1 January 1987 throughout
3 Provisional figures

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.