3rd Report - The safety of Electrical Goods in the UK
- HC No.
- HC 503
- Published
- 16 Jan 2018
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 28 March 2018. Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Safety of electrical goods in the UK inquiry
Closed
Opened 17 Oct 2017
Closed 17 Oct 2017
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
Government response The safety of Electrical Goods in the UK: Government Response to the Committee's Third Report The safety of Electrical Goods in the UK: Government Response to the Committee's Third Report PDF (172 KB) In 2014, the then Government announced that it would launch a review of the UK's systems of product recall and product safety. This followed several fires where electrical goods were identified as the initial source of ignition. In February 2016, Lynn Faulds Wood published her review, which the Government had commissioned. Since the review there have been several further high profile fires and a continuing trend of incidents where electrical goods were identified as the cause. In view of the fragmented nature of the existing system and the slow pace of change, the Committee recommend that the Government should carry out and publish a cost benefit analysis of the options for reallocating and concentrating existing resources, both centrally and locally, with a view to combining into a single national product safety agency.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 17 October 2017.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 3rd Report - The safety of Electrical Goods in the UK on 16 January 2018.
The government's response
Published 28 March 2018.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the inquiry and points to the new Office for Product Safety and Standards as its main response, accepting some conclusions while setting out a different position on others, including publication of risk assessments.
- On national co-ordination, it "accepts the need for effective co-ordination on the sharing of information and the setting of priorities at a national level", and says the new Office for Product Safety and Standards, announced on 21 January 2018, is its response.
- On publishing manufacturers' risk assessments, it notes that its expert Working Group "did not conclude that making risk assessments available would meet that need". It says it will "keep this issue under review" and provide guidance to regulators on what to publish.
- On Whirlpool tumble dryers, it reports reassurance that an engineer can attend within two weeks. Ministers "will meet with the General Manager of Whirlpool UK", and the Office will make a further call to consumers.
- On a single recalls portal, it anticipates the first release of its data service "by the end of 2018 with full public access in 2019". Automatic registration of appliances will be "considered in more depth" by the Office.
Reports
- 3rd Report - The safety of Electrical Goods in the UK16 January 2018
Evidence
- 1 oral evidence sessionLatest 31 October 2017
Recent activity
- Letter from Whirlpool to Chair, on Peterborough incident - 1 September 201913 September 2019, Correspondence
- Letter from Chair to Kelly Tolhurst, regarding product safety - dated 4 September 201913 September 2019, Correspondence
- Letter from the Director of Whirlpool UK Appliances Ltd to Chair, regarding tumble dryer modification programme - dated 18 April 201929 April 2019, Correspondence
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2017 |
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded
|
View ↗ |
Correspondence
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