§ Baroness Strangeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that the proposed addition to the European and international standards for lighters, of a requirement of traceability, will be effectively enforced thereby reducing the number of dangerous illegal lighters that are imported into the United Kingdom each year. [HL2329]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Simon of Highbury)Cigarette lighters are covered by the General Product Safety Regulations 1994, which local authority trading standards departments have a statutory duty to enforce, and which provide for European standards to be taken into account in assessing the safety of a product. The DTI is actively involved in the discussions on the revised standard, which is to include a requirement for traceability. When published, this will be a relevant standard for enforcement purposes. The Government have also been working with the UK enforcement authorities in promoting the joint action being taken by enforcement authorities in Europe through PROSAFE (the Product Safety Enforcement Forum of Europe) to identify unsafe lighters and remove them from the market.