Looking through the upcoming business for the next Parliamentary week, I couldn't help but notice this motion on the order papers for Wednesday 28th March:

Ten minute Rule Motion: Mary Creagh: Prevention of Scalding Injuries (Bathing in the Home): That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about the installation in homes of thermostatic mixing valves to set bath tap water temperature to a maximum of 46 degrees centigrade; and for connected purposes.

Now, okay, scalding injuries are particularly unpleasant, but to put this into its proper context the DTI's own report on Burns and Scalds Accidents in the Home indicates that scalding injuries from bathing account for around 2,500 of the 100,000+ burns and scalds which require medical treatment at A&E units each year - these are all estimates, by the way - of which more than 2,000 are minor injuries. The figures quoted in the report go on to show an average of 574 serious injuries requiring hospitalisation of more than a day and, sadly, a small number of deaths - a curious average figure of 2.3 per year.

All of which makes the idea of tackling this problem with an Act of Parliament something akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

It may well be that installing thermostatic mixing valves in homes may reduce the accident figure over time, but the question has to be asked whether primary legislation is necessary to introduce regulations to that effect and, therefore, whether this would be a reasonable use of Parliamentary time - this seems something that at most should require an adjustment to building regulations cover by statutory instrument, which would be a much less time consuming process.

It's rather ironic that at a time when government is seeking sweeping powers to amend legislation by what amounts to Ministerial dictat - the appalling Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill - we find a Labour MP seeking to add yet more regulations using the most long-winded Parliamentary process open to her.