§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what steps he is taking to prevent foam-filled furniture which does not comply with the 639W 1988 regulations being imported into the United Kingdom; [4844]
(2) if he will launch an advertising campaign to publicise the exemption from the provisions of the Furniture and furnishings Fire Safety Regulations of upholstered furniture manufactured before 1990; [4842]
(3) what measures his Department will take to deter second-hand furniture dealers from illegally selling foam-filled furniture. [4843]
Mr. John M. TaylorDay-to-day responsibility for enforcing a wide range of consumer safety legislation, including the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended, rests with local authority trading standard departments under a statutory duty set out under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. Trading standards departments have all the necessary powers to act against importers and second-hand traders who supply furniture that does not comply with the regulations. Since 1990 these departments have initiated 274 cases against suppliers of illegal furniture and have been involved in nearly 1,500 enforcement actions. There continues to be a high level of enforcement activity which my Department fully supports. The penalties for non-compliance with the furniture regulations are a £5,000 fine, a maximum of six months in prison or both, for each offence.
Following the making of this legislation my Department publicised detailed guidance for all suppliers of domestic upholstered furniture, setting out the requirements of the regulations in simple terms and explaining the penalties for failure to comply. The Department also published a guidance booklet for consumers explaining the new requirements and emphasising the precautions that should continue to be taken to reduce household furniture fires. Typically, more than 1,500 copies of this guide are circulated throughout the country each month by the Department and local authority trading standards departments. I believe these measures are sufficient to acquaint consumers with the requirements of the regulations and the dangers of unsafe furniture.
In the year the furniture regulations were made nearly 5,000 fires involving furniture killed 247 people. Since 1988 these numbers have fallen dramatically, with 146 people killed in 3,746 fires in 1993. My Department believes that the regulations will continue to play a major part in helping to further reduce these numbers.