Campaign goes on in memory of Muireann

Elaine Birse 1594 - 1594 • Last updated 30 Apr 2008 12:07 0 Comments

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THE McLaughlin family handed over the Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser petition to MP Gordon Banks at a ceilidh night in memory of toddler Muireann.

A total of 3500 people put their name towards the petition either by signing up online through the Advertiser website or by putting their name to a printed copy of the petition.

Family and friends attended the ceilidh at Broomhall Castle on Friday night and raised around £1200 to be split between the Make a Wish Foundation, British Heart Foundation and Menstrie Nursery.

The event was organised to remember two-year-old Muireann McLaughlin, whose life was tragically cut short in February.

She died after becoming entangled in a looped blind cord, highlighting the dangers that these household appliances pose.

Her father, Angus, called for looped cords to be banned and the Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser responded by launching a campaign to outlaw their production.

And our campaign will continue until the appropriate legislation is in place to ensure no other child dies in the same tragic - and unnecessary - circumstances as the McLaughlin"s beautiful little daughter.

Across the United Kingdom it is estimated that there are two accidents involving children and blind cords every year.

But while Britain continues to manufacture the lethal design, abroad in countries such as Canada, the USA and Australia these concerns have already been addressed.

An American study revealed an estimated 359 cord strangulations between 1981 and 1995 - nearly one child a fortnight.

In response to this shocking statistic industry representatives agreed to eliminate the loops in the future production of window cords in 1995.

Campaign group, Parents for Window Blind Safety, was set up in 2002 by an American family to educate the public, support families affected and assist in the correction of manufacturing defects.

Since January 2004, a Product Safety Order relating to blind cords has been in place in Australia, and Canada too has introduced safety features and changed the manufacturing standard - according to figures in 2003 there were 22 fatalities since 1989 involving young children with a further 17 near-misses.

MP Gordon Banks has lodged an Early Day Motion at Westminster calling on the British Standards Institute to introduce a new British Standard banning the production of looped cords.

As the Advertiser went to press 78 cross-party MPs had put their names to it - among them, First Minister Alex Salmond (MP for Banff and Buchan), Clare Short and George Galloway.

In early March Mr Banks debated the production of looped cords at Westminster and heard from Innovation Minister Ian Pearson that amendments were being made to the European standard due to be ratified in June.

A complete ban on looped cords could not be put in place due to legislation which prevents a barrier in trade between European countries.

Mr Banks branded the voluntary code of proposals, which included safety accessories, 'unsatisfactory' when he reviewed them with the Minister last month and suggested alternatives which will be presented at the next pan-European meeting.

On receiving the petition on Friday night, Mr Banks said, 'I would like to see more compulsory regulation in the manufacturing of loop cord blinds and I have been reassured that Ministers and Officials from the UK will table another position paper to our EU partners, requesting a move from a voluntary standing to a compulsory redesign of the blinds.

'I will be meeting with representatives from the British Standards Institute and British Blinds and Shutters Association in order to stress the importance of the need for change.

'In the meantime, I will be doing my utmost to keep the matter in the public eye; after all, household items should not be responsible for the death of children.

'The strength of the McLaughlin family unit in such a difficult time has been remarkable, especially their efforts in pushing for legislative changes in the production of loop blind cords so that no other family should experience the same suffering.'

Ochil SNP MSP Keith Brown has also pledged his support to the campaign and proposed a motion to the Scottish Parliament regarding the matter.

This week Labour MSP for Mid-Scotland & Fife, Richard Simpson, echoed his support for a ban and tabled his own motion at the Scottish Parliament.

The McLaughlin family said, 'A ban is long overdue, if it had been in place, Muireann and other children would still be alive.

'We owe it to our children to ensure the legislation for the ban is passed as soon as possible.

'We also feel that the modifications required by the manufacturers are so minimal that they, as a duty to their future customers, should not hesitate to change the design of their product in advance of any legislation.

'We hear so much about Health and Safety considerations proscribing traditional, and harmless, activities such as playing conkers, without goggles, why do the same regulations still allow the manufacture and sale of something as potentially lethal as these window blind cords?

'We would like to thank everyone who has shown support for the campaign to ban looped cords and ask them to continue to do so, the campaign is far from over.

'We would also like to thank the people of Menstrie and the wider community for all the kindness and support that they have shown us.

'Small kindnesses have meant such a lot to all of the family at this awful time.'

This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 01 May 08

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