Electrical Fire Safety Week

That this House notes that the 23rd to the 29th of November is Electrical Fire Safety Week (EFSW) which is run by the charity Electrical Safety First in co-operation with the Home Office’s Fire Kills campaign; commends the Charity’s work to reduce fires caused by electricity of which there are more than 14,000 each year; and notes that this year’s theme for EFSW is harms caused by the sale of unsafe electrical goods on online marketplaces; recognises that online marketplaces are not subject to the same regulations as the high street with online marketplaces viewing themselves as virtual landlords; further notes the important work of Electrical Safety First in raising awareness of this issue; further recognises that more consumers will be shopping online this Christmas due to restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus outbreak; notes that a Censuswide survey conducted for Electrical Safety First shows that 58 per cent of consumers will use online marketplaces for their Christmas shopping, with 59 per cent of these respondents viewing them as safer than the high street; and recognises that now, more than ever, it is important to ensure consumer safety when shopping online; and urges the Government to improve the legislation relating to online marketplaces to ensure that consumers are protected from the sale of unsafe electrical goods on these platforms; and urges the Government to broaden the scope of the expected Online Harms Bill to include the sale of unsafe electrical goods on online marketplaces.