Written question asked by Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour) on Thursday, 15 September 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 October 2011. It was answered by Damian Green (Conservative) on Monday, 10 October 2011 on behalf of the Home Office.

Pocket Lighters: Import Controls

Question: (2) what information HM Revenue and Customs holds on the number of pocket lighters entering the UK which do not comply with the safety standards in Commission Decision 2006/502/EC.

Answer: I have been asked to reply.HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Border Agency have no statutory powers at UK points of entry to seize pocket lighters and other non-food consumer products that do not conform to EU or UK safety standards.UK product safety legislation assigns safety compliance checks at points of entry and elsewhere in the UK to local authorities acting in their statutory role as a market surveillance authority.HM Revenue and Customs and UK Border Agency have powers to detain any suspect consignments and inform the relevant market surveillance authority, but their records do not hold information on the number of pocket lighters entering the UK which do not comply with the safety standards in Commission Decision 2006/502/EC.Records of enforcement action taken on non compliant goods detected at UK points of entry are maintained locally by UK market surveillance authorities.

Secondary information