But sometimes if we pass on information such as that, it tends to get clouded and lost. It is that aspect that we need to address, and that I ask the Minister to address. There does not seem to be a proactive approach.

The use of ladders in gardens will inevitably increase. I mentioned the legislation on high hedges that will be introduced in the autumn; such hedges mean that the use of ladders—a dangerous practice—will become more likely. If people prop up a ladder against a hedge, pick up a hedge trimmer that needs two hands to operate, balance on the ladder, and then lean back to cut, that is an illustration of all the things that are wrong and that need to be addressed. It is crazy for people to do that.

I believe that the Minister was involved in industry, as I was. I started as an apprentice in 1965 in a shipyard and was educated about the need to wear a hard hat and gloves, and tight clothing. All of that was drummed into people. Increasingly, however, young people have never been in that sort of environment. In the 1960s and 1970s the people who gardened may have been from the shipyards, the dockyards, the mines and the factories, but we are now dealing with a public who, for the most part, had never had a tool in their hands before they started gardening. Moreover, they have had no instruction in how to use such tools; no one takes them on courses. It is that fact, more than anything, that leads me to suggest that tighter regulation should be introduced and applied. I do not want restrictions to be placed unnecessarily on the individual. However, for common-sense reasons, we must examine the industry and its practices, as well as the householder who uses the equipment. Change is required, but the whole issue must be addressed.

In conclusion, I will make a few pleas and ask a specific question. There should be an obligation on the DTI and the Government to ensure greater protection of consumers in this area. I ask for a reinstatement of the Government use of the HASS statistics and an assurance that the statistics are to hand in-house. I would like the garden safety leaflet, which was issued so successfully in 1996, to be reissued, and I would like the Department to take a more proactive stance on the whole issue of garden safety.