XN000022-1996-04-24 — Page 25

- 11 -

The bilingual safety labelling requirement will be confined to markings or labels relating to warning or caution phrases concerned with the safe keeping, use, consumption or disposal of the consumer goods. Such markings or labels should be legible and placed in a conspicuous position on the consumer goods, the packaging or a document enclosed in the package, as the case may require. By doing so, the proposed requirement will achieve the objective of enhancing consumer safety while at the same time avoiding imposing an undue burden on manufacturers, importers or suppliers.

Upon enactment of the Bill, 1 will table the Consumer Goods Safety Regulation in the Council for Members' approval by the negative procedure. Members may wish to note that a similar regulation on the introduction of requirement for bilingual safety labelling for toys and children's products covered by the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance will also be made. To give the industry and trade sufficient time to adjust, there will be a grace period of 12 months before the Regulations come into operation.

Mr President, I move that debate on this motion be adjourned.

End

Bill to ensure toys and children's products safety

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Trade and Industry. Miss Denise Yue, in moving the second reading of the Toys and Children's Products Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 1996 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I move that the Toys and Children's Products Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 1996 be read the second time.

י

The Bill provides for the adoption of safety standards other than the British Standards Institution (BSI) standards for children's products under the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance. The Bill is made in response to requests from the trade and industrial organisations that multiple safely standards should be adopted for children's products because adoption of the BSI standards alone is considered too restrictive and would limit consumers' choice."