§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the purpose is of the free-fall height regulations proposed by the EU; whether they are being considered by majority vote; and what assessment she has made of their impact on manufacturers of(a) rocking horses, (b) trampolines and (c) climbing frames; [143846]
whether the free-fall height regulations to reduce the falling length for indoor activity toys will apply to (a) items located in domestic premises and (b) new sales of products. [143853]
§ Mr. Sutcliffe[holding answer 15 December 2003]: The safety of toys is covered by the Toys (Safety) Regulations 1995 which are supported by European harmonised standards. A new part eight to the BSEN 71 series of toy standards, which introduced a maximum saddle height of 600mm for carousels and rocking activity toys, was recently agreed by the European technical committee which develops the standards. The primary intention of this measurement is to identify which toys need to undergo stability testing and it was not intended as a restriction on the maximum height of rocking horses. It has been accepted that an unintentional oversight has occurred and steps are being taken to rectify the matter. In the meantime, the DTI and LACORS (the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services) have issued advice to local authority enforcement departments and testing laboratories on the current legal situation, emphasising that rocking horses with a saddle height greater than 600mm have not 'become' unsafe as a result of the new standard nor are any already on the market now unsafe for use.
Although trampolines are not covered by the standard, it does specify safety requirements for toys incorporating crossbars eg climbing frames and swings.
The BSEN 71 series of standards are a means of meeting the essential safety requirements of the toys safety Regulations. Those Regulations apply to all toys supplied on the UK market for use in play by children under 14 years of age.