(Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate
Responsibility): The Government’s number one
priority is public safety. We are committed to ensuring that the
UK continues to have one of the strongest product safety regimes
in the world.
I updated the House on 4 April and on 17 June. Following the
publication of the review by the Office for Product Safety and
Standards (OPSS) into the Whirlpool tumble dryer modification
programme, I informed the House that OPSS had issued a Decision
Letter placing a number of requirements on the company. Having
reviewed Whirlpool’s response to the Government’s requirements,
OPSS determined that it was inadequate.
Accordingly, on 4 June, OPSS notified Whirlpool of their
intention to serve a Recall Notice in respect of as many as
800,000 remaining unmodified tumble dryers currently in use.
I am able to confirm that Whirlpool is now to issue a full
product recall of all unmodified tumble dryers from consumers’
homes.
Whirlpool has agreed to undertake a number of actions required by
OPSS, and which have been reviewed by an Expert Panel, consisting
of an independent Queen’s Counsel and three Chief Scientific
Advisors from the Home Office, Health and Safety Executive and
the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Under the recall, consumers with an unmodified, affected
Whirlpool tumble dryer will be entitled to a new replacement
machine. This will be delivered and installed, with the old one
removed, at no cost. A refund based on product age or a
modification will be available to those consumers who do not want
to take up the offer of a replacement dryer. Whirlpool have
agreed to implement additional quality assurance procedures for
any new modifications in consumers’ homes.
Whirlpool will deliver a significant consumer outreach campaign
with wide ranging publicity of the product recall. Whirlpool have
committed to deliver improved identification of, and outreach to,
vulnerable consumers. They guarantee that there will be no
charges for the delivery, installation or removal of affected
machines. Whirlpool have also committed, and will be legally
required, to provide OPSS with effective and timely reporting of
progress made in the product recall.
As part of OPSS monitoring of the programme, OPSS is receiving
weekly data reports from Whirlpool and it continues to monitor
the situation very closely.
The actions taken by OPSS illustrate once again this Government’s
commitment to ensuring the safety of consumers. No other European
country has used the recall process in this way, and on this
scale before for domestic appliance safety.
OPSS will closely monitor the recall and it will take further
action should it be necessary to ensure public safety. It will
continue to work closely with other Government departments and
key stakeholders to raise awareness of the recall.
The message for consumers who have an unmodified dryer is to stop
using and unplug their dryer immediately and to contact Whirlpool
for a replacement.
