BODY PIERCING

Early day motion 497, tabled 28 March 2001 by David Chaytor (Labour). Signed by 45 members.

That this House congratulates Bury and Rochdale Health Authority and the environmental health departments of Bury and Rochdale councils on their survey of general practitioners into the problems associated with body piercing; notes the survey's findings that local authorities outside London lack specific powers to regulate body piercing businesses, that there is no recognised qualification for body piercing practitioners and that many of them are completely untrained, that there is a high incidence of post-operative infection and other side-effects, and that further concerns exist about the piercing of minors and the lack of information and guidance available to enable the public to make an informed choice about the procedure; and therefore calls on the Government to initiate an urgent review of the problem, including an informed debate on whether there should be a minimum age of consent for body piercing as already exists for tattooing, to consider the publications of national guidelines for members of the public and practitioners and to bring forward legislation to give local authorities outside London specific powers to regulate body piercing businesses with the aim of ensuring that the procedure is carried out safely and hygienically and that possible health risks are minimised.

Signatures by party: Labour 33, Liberal Democrat 7, Labour/Co-operative 4, UUP 1.