§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list in theOfficial Report the nature and purpose of amendments he proposes to make to Acts of Parliament so as to comply with the common position adopted by the Internal Market Council of the European Economic Communities at their meeting on 21 December 1988 in respect of draft directives and amendments relating to the harmonisation of national legislation concerning safety of machinery.
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§ Mr. MaudeThe draft directive is still under negotiation. A common position was agreed at the internal market council on 21 December. Under the co-operation procedure, the European Parliament now has an opportunity to consider the common position, before the directive can be finally adopted by the council. It is therefore too soon to give a definitive assessment of the impact on United Kingdom legislation.
However, several United Kingdom laws may need to be amended. The most relevant are the Health and Safety at Work, etc, Act 1974 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987. More specific requirements dealing with hazards arising out of the use of machinery in particular industries are contained in various other statutory provisions; the most important of these are the Factories Act 1961 and numerous sets of regulations made under it.