The issue surrounding faulty Whirlpool dryers is of great concern to me, and I sympathise with those who have been affected personally. In first addressing this concern, I would highly urge those affected to call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 040506 who will help assess your problem and pass it on to Trading Standards if appropriate.
I would thus like to reassure you that the Government is well aware of these concerns, and I am pleased to say that the Consumer Minister has already written to Whirlpool UK ensuring that everything possible is being done to secure the safety of consumers. With this in mind, the Government expects consumers to receive a clear response from Whirlpool committing itself to action within an agreed timeframe. Further to this, Whirlpool is strongly encouraged to improve how they communicate the option of receiving a replacement machine rather than a modification to its customers.
I would also like to point out that manufacturers, distributors and retailers are legally required to inform their Local Authority Trading Standards Department if they have placed unsafe products on the market under the General Product Safety Regulations 1995. Thus, I would like to further reassure you that Trading Standards have been working actively with those concerned to manage any corrective actions accordingly.
More broadly, I am pleased to say that a new working group on product recalls and safety will bring together expertise from the fire service, trading standards, consumer groups and industry, and report back with interim findings by the end of the year. Areas of focus will be the causes of fires in white goods, such as tumble dryers, the marking of appliances to make them easier to identify after a fire, and a code of practice for product recalls, including the peer review of risk assessments.
In addition to these findings, the Consumer Minister has requested an ongoing review into local authorities to prioritise the enforcement of product safety regulation. More guidance on products currently subject to recall from manufacturers can now be found on the Gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/product-safety-product-recalls.
I very much look forward to receiving these findings from the Consumer Minister and the working group as I would personally like to examine this issue further. Please be reassured that the Government is working hard to secure the safety of our people, and I as MP will help ensure that this commitment is fulfilled.