§ Mr. Mark FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the legal status is of the Memorandum of Understanding between her and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. [97201]
§ Ms HewittArticle 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service clearly states that this memorandum does not create any rights, liabilities or obligations which would have binding effect in law.
§ Mr. Mark FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what she is doing to encourage conformity assessment bodies to seek accreditation from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, pursuant to Article 2 of the Memorandum of Understanding between her and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, including those upon whose services the Government relies for(a) procurement and (b) regulatory purposes. [97202]
§ Ms HewittIt is DTI policy to encourage all conformity assessment bodies to seek accreditation from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service wherever it is an option notwithstanding that accreditation is a voluntary and market driven activity. It does this: by ensuring that UKAS is operating effectively in accordance with its obligations in the DTI/ UKAS Memorandum of Understanding; by helping UKAS to promote the benefits of UKAS accreditation through its Accreditation Awareness Campaign; and through regular contact with the conformity assessment community and other Government Departments. In their contacts with other Government Departments and other parts of DTI, whenever there is a requirement for conformity assessment, my officials encourage their colleagues to rely upon UKAS accredited conformity assessment.
§ Mr. Mark FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the United Kingdom Accreditation Service is(a) a non-profit-distributing and (b) a non-profit making company. [97203]
77W
§ Ms HewittThe United Kingdom Accreditation Service was established in 1995 as a private company limited by guarantee. While UKAS may make a profit, any that is made is not distributed but is channelled back into the company.
§ Mr. Mark FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department takes to ensure that the United Kingdom Accreditation Service polices use of the national accreditation marks which feature the Royal Crown. [97204]
§ Ms HewittThe national accreditation marks are the property of my Department and are covered by a Licensing Agreement which licences the United Kingdom Accreditation Service to use the marks and to sub-licence them to accredited organisations. The Licensing Agreement requires UKAS to register the marks with the Trade Marks Registry and gives UKAS the responsibility for encouraging that the use of the national accreditation marks is in accordance with the requirements set down in the conditions for the use of national accreditation marks by UKAS and UKAS accredited organisations. UKAS assessors as part of the accreditation process ensure that the accredited bodies comply with the conditions and in turn, ensure that where such bodies confer the right to use the marks to their own customers, that the customers also comply. The obligations under the Licensing Agreement are also the subject of a periodic third-party audit. My officials are in regular contact with UKAS over a number of issues including the monitoring of the use of the marks as part of the oversight responsibilities of my Department.
§ Mr. Mark FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support her Department provides to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service; and for what purpose. [97205]
§ Ms HewittThe United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is a private company and its core services are self-financed through the charging of fees to its direct customers. However, my Department has a three-year contract with UKAS to enable it to represent the United Kingdom in the international accreditation fora (European Co-operation for Accreditation, International Accreditation Forum and International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation) so that it can play a major influencing role in the development of accreditation internationally. In addition, since November 2000, my Department has supported a UKAS Accreditation Awareness Campaign to help raise awareness to business and to other parts of government of the benefits of using UKAS accredited services. This campaign meets our own policy objective of encouraging businesses to use accredited conformity assessment wherever it is an option. DTI support covers 50 per cent. of the cost of certain elements of the campaign and is agreed on an annual basis.