HC Deb 01 April 1980 vol 982 cc127-8W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is his estimate of the number of accidents to children caused by breaking unstrengthened glass in doors each year; if he will take steps to reduce the annual toll of death and injury from this cause; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Sally Oppenheim

From data derived from the home accident surveillance system it is estimated that accidents in the home involving architectural glass lead to about 25,000 persons being treated in hospital accident and emergency departments each year. About half of these accidents are caused by glass in doors and just over half of these occur on the same basis as shown for imports n tables C14 and C21 of the February issue of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.

Mr. Parkinson

The information is as follows:

to children. The data do not indicate the type of glass involved.

The practicability of taking steps to reduce the number of these accidents is primarily a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment. I am concerned only with the safety of made-up doors and so on for "do-it-yourself" and replacement purposes and am keeping under review the possible need for action in this connection, taking into account current work on the revision of the British Standards Institution's code of practice on "Glazing for Buildings".