§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster(a) how many British Standard Institute technical committees exist to advise on drawing up product standards and (b) how many of these committees have a representative of a consumer organisation, defined as a member of an organisation belonging to the consumers in the European community group sitting as one of their members.
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§ Mr. Forth[holding answer 24 February 1989]: The British Standards Institution informs me that BSI has 3,160 technical committees and sub-committees, of which about 1,200 are active at any one time, and the great bulk of which have work programmes which include product standards. Of these, about one quarter are concerned with consumer products. The consumer policy committee of BSI, which brings together most United Kingdom members of the consumers in the European Community group and others, is represented on 305 BSI technical committees and sub-committees.