§ Mr. Gordon MarsdenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to ban or impose restrictions on the sale and use of laser pens. [13353]
§ Mr. Nigel Griffiths[holding answer 30 October 1997]: I met Trading Standards Officers on 23 October to discuss the safety of laser pens. Heriot-Watt University was asked to test these products. The results were available to me on 28 October. I immediately issued a press notice urging Trading Standards Officers to remove all dangerous laser pens from sale.
645WLaser pens in classes 3a, and 3b and 4 as classified in BS EN60825, part 1, 1994 would present an unacceptable risk when used by the general public and are unsafe under the General Product Safety Regulations 1994. Those supplying them to the general public could be prosecuted.