A Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee has expressed concerns over potential widespread failures in the UK's product safety system.
MPs said that the fact that millions of defective tumble-dryers which posed a fire risk were allowed to be sold in the UK demonstrates that current product safety checks were failing consumers.
Defective tumble-dryers sold under the Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit brands (owned by Whirlpool) have led to more than 750 fires in homes since 2004. The Committee described the companies response to the over 5 million defective machines as 'woeful' and said it was unacceptable that more than one million potentially dangerous tumble-dryers were still being used in homes.
The Business Committee was looking into the incidents caused by such defective electrical appliances; in one incident a fire killed two men, alongside other high profile cases including Greenfell Tower. The Committee concluded that there were widespread issues over product safety.
Committee Chair, Rachel Reeves, said there was ''a strong case for a single national product safety agency'' adding, ''these problems go deeper than just one firm. Whirlpool's response has highlighted flaws in the UK's product safety regime which is fragmented and poorly resourced.''
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said it would respond to recommendations for a national product safety authority. A spokesman commented: ''We have already taken a number of steps to improve our product safety regime, including upgrading the government's recalls website to make it clear to the public which white goods are safe to use.''
