Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to requiring manufacturers to fit white goods with a standardised rating plate in an identical position on all such goods for the purpose of easy product identification.

The Government recognises the value of being able to identify a product following a product safety incident. Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, before placing electrical equipment on the market, a manufacturer must ensure that it bears a type, batch or serial number to allow for its identification.

Research commissioned by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has identified a number of potential systems for the indelible marking of white goods. OPSS will further explore with key stakeholders the barriers which are currently preventing industry from implementing such a system.