§ Mr. CummingsTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what actions are being taken to ensure that(a) bottle jacks and (b) car lifting gear in general meet British safety standards;
(2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the present controls over the safety standards of (a) bottle jacks and (b) car lifting gear in general;
(3) whether he intends to make further funding available to police the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 in the area of safety standards for car lifting gear.
§ Mr. Maude[holding answer 26 November 1987]: The Department commissioned the Institute for Consumer Ergonomics to undertake a safety appraisal of DIY car maintenance equipment including car lifting gear. The institute's recommendations were included in the 381W Department's report on vehicle maintenance, which was published in November 1986.I am arranging for copies of the report to be placed in the Library.
The report has proved a valuable aid to the development of new standards and the revision of existing ones. The British Standards Institution expects to publish new standards for car ramps and axle stands early next year. The BSI has recently issued for public comment a revised draft of BS Au 154(a): 1970 for hydraulic jacks to take account of models intended for use by amateur mechanics. A review of BS Au 172: 1979 for accessory jacks (of both bottle and scissor types) for passenger cars is also being undertaken as a matter of priority. I also indicated my Department's intention to approve standards for the various types of car lifting gear for the purpose of the general safety requirement of the Consumer Protection Act, as soon as satisfactory standards become available. This will mean that suppliers must either comply with the approved standard or achieve an equivalent level of safety by other means.
Enforcement of this legislation is the responsibility of the local authority trading standards departments. The amount allocated to local authorities for expenditure on consumer protection and trading standards activities is reviewed annually during consideration of the rate support grant. The amount allocated for these activities has increased in recent years. The new legislation provides local authorities with greater flexibility and enhanced powers for the execution of their statutory duty to enforce consumer protection laws.