§ Sir L. Ropnerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children in the United Kingdom are known to have died during the last five years as a result of playing with polythene bags; and whether he will make it compulsory for manufacturers of these bags to state on them the dangers of their being used as toys.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI regret that this information is available only for the past year, when five children are known to have died from being suffocated by polythene or plastic bags. I have no power at present to require warnings to be printed on these bags, but I understand that the Packaging Films Manufacturers' Association have recently recommended to those concerned that bags which could be misused by children should carry a warning and I hope that this advice will be followed.