§ Dr. Stuttafordasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to encourage the development of child resistant containers and closures to prevent accidental poisoning of children.
§ Mr. AlisonAs I informed the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, North-West (Mr. Greville Janner) on 1st March, the British Standards Institution has, at the request of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, agreed to set up a technical committee on methods of test for child-resistant containers. We welcome this decision and my Department will do all it can to assist the technical committee to draw up interim guidance in order that pharmacists, doctors and the industry concerned can be advised as soon as possible. In the meantime, my Department will be instituting early discussions with the representatives of the professional and commercial interests concerned about the practical considerations which could be expected to arise from the introduction of child-resistant containers.—[Vol. 832, c.131–2.]