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The Home Office replied that their tests showed that only minute
quantities of lead could be extracted and ingested by children chewing or
sucking the toys. Nevertheless, they had recommended to the trade that the
lead content of plastic toys should not exceed 250 parts per million. They
had, however, taken note that our tests had shown that lead could be
extracted in significant amounts, thus demonstrating a definite health hazard.
At their request, full details of our tests were sent to them.
The practical effect of the sampling in the Borough was that every
retailer willingly co-operated in removing from sale all toys which we found
to have a high lead or otherwise objectionable content. The last nine samples
were all satisfactory. One of the largest retailing organisations in the
country removed similar toys from sale in all their stores throughout the
country. Their Managing Director then flew to Hong Kong to check up on the
factories supplying his organisation.