§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether the Government propose to accept the recommendations of the Law Commission and of the Royal Commission on Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury that producers 347W should be strictly liable for personal injury caused by defective products.
§ Mr. HattersleyThe Government are sympathetic to this proposal and believe that it would be an important and widely welcomed reform in the civil law. However, in the light of the many representations made since publication of the reports, they are also aware of the anxiety in industry about the possible effect of this change on competitiveness and the introduction of new products, about the possible burden on small firms and about the special problems for some product sectors.
Before reaching any final decision, therefore, I am arranging further detailed consultation with industry in order to assess these potential problems and to examine how the principle of strict liability might be implemented in such a way that the interests of the consumer and of industry are equitably balanced.