CLASSIFICATION OF CHILDREN'S FANCY DRESS CLOTHES

That this House notes with concern that, at present, children's fancy dress costumes are classified as toys and, as such, are not necessarily fire-proofed or retardant; further notes that whilst fancy dress clothes have passed a flammability test and been awarded a CE mark this test, known as an EN71 test, was designed to test toys and not clothes, and is only suitable for toys which burn a lot slower than fancy dress clothes; further notes that the number of children admitted to hospital with injuries resulting from a fancy dress costume catching alight is increasing; further notes that this could be prevented by simply changing the classification of fancy dress clothing from toys to clothes; and calls on the Government to investigate this issue and to review classification criteria urgently to ensure that fancy dress clothing is properly classified and undergoes proper flammability testing to promote safety for children and adults alike and to significantly reduce the risk of accidents occurring.