§ Mr. Hoosonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the dangers to children caused by the sale of highly inflammable clothing, particularly of playsuits, he will strengthen his regulations on this matter.
§ Mr. Gowerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce more stringent regulations to govern the sale of children's clothing with the purpose of protecting children from the dangers of inflammable clothing now on sale.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has studied the evidence on inflammable children's clothing, varying from cowboy suits to plastic mackintoshes, supplied to him by the honourable Member for South Bedfordshire; and if 80W he will take steps to accelerate and extend the working party study into inflammable clothing.
§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will introduce legislation to enforce the standards of non-inflammability for children's clothing and clothing material devised by the British Standards Institute in order to afford protection to children against fire hazards, (2) if he is satisfied that plastic or plasticised children's clothes and clothing material other than night-dresses reach the standards of non-inflammability devised by the British Standards Institution; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI am naturally concerned about the problems of inflammable clothing both for children and adults. There are some practical difficulties, including the difficulty of devising standard tests. But my Department is consulting the British Standards Institution about safety requirements for children's playsuits; new regulations will shortly be laid before the House dealing with nightdresses for children and adults; and the Working Party on Inflammable Clothing is considering other related problems. I am always ready to take up with the trade the question of discontinuing the sale of any particularly dangerous items.
Whatever checks may be imposed on the use of particularly inflammable materials, most kinds of clothing will burn. The need to guard open fires and heating appliances cannot be emphasised too often.