§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Minister for Trade if he will use his powers under the Consumer Safety Act 1978 to prevent the importation and supply of catalytic gas heaters containing asbestos panels and replacement asbestos panels for such heaters.
§ Mr. SproatMy hon. Friend the Minister for Consumer Affairs issued a press notice recently about catalytic gas heaters with asbestos panels that could disintegrate with age and release asbestos fibres; though the risks to health were small he judged it necessary to warn the public. We understand the heaters most likely to be unsatisfactory have not now been imported for some time and retailers' stocks are exhausted. In a subsequent version and in replacement panels still on sale, the asbestos is held in place by a sandwich of other material and at present there is no evidence to justify a ban.
210Wbalance of payments and (iii) a balance of payments basis adjusted to take account of changes in the terms of trade each quarter as a percentage of 1975.
§ Mr. Peter ReesThe information requested in (i) and (ii) is as follows: