§ Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish his response to the Agriculture Committee's first report of 1990–91 on microwave ovens.
§ Mr. GummerThe Government's response has been published today and copies are being placed in the Library of the House. The Government response endorses many of the conclusions reached by the Committee. In particular, it endorses the Committee's conclusions that there is nothing inherently unsafe about microwave ovens, that efforts to improve the performance of microwave ovens should be regarded as sensible precautionary measures, and that it is incumbent on oven manufacturers and retailers to ensure that consumers are furnished with the necessary instructions to enable them to cook food properly. These principles underlie what MAFF is seeking to achieve through its microwave working party.