To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last discussed product liability with (a) consumers' associations, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) trading standards officers and (d) the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last discussed product liability with (a) consumers' associations, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) trading standards officers and (d) the European Commission.

The European product liability directive was implemented in part I of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 and came into force on 1 March 1988. The consumers' associations, the Confederation of British Industry and the Local Authority Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards were included in the consultation exercise.I have had no meetings with these organisations or the European Commission on this subject in the last 12 months.