§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his response to the suggestion by the chief inspector of fire services for Scotland that the production of fire-proof cigarettes should be considered as an aid to reducing household fires.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI noted the comments made by Her Majesty's chief inspector of fire services for Scotland in his 1987 annual report on the research that was carried out in the United States on safer cigarettes. That research took the form of a technical study which is the subject of further research.
I welcome appropriate steps that can be taken to reduce the loss of life through fire in the home. At present my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whose Department takes the lead in this area of consumer safety, is monitoring further research on the American technical study. I propose to review the matter when the results of this further research are available, probably in 1990.