asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he wil ltake steps to ban the import or manufacture in the United Kingdom of lead-based cosmetics used for eye brightening, in view of the comments of the Manchester coroner at a recent inquest into the death of a child aged three years.

I shall shortly be making regulations to implement the EEC Directive (76/768/EEC) on cosmetic products which will prohibit the sale in this country of cosmetics of any kind containing lead or its compounds other than hair treatment products containing not more than 3 per cent. lead acetate.