HC Deb 15 March 1888 vol 323 cc1301-2
MR. YERBURGH (Chester)

asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether in the paragraph in the Memorandum accompanying the Report of the Committee on the Hall Marking of Foreign Watch Cases, to the effect that while in the assay offices— In London, Birmingham, and Sheffield, accurate balances and modern appliances have been adopted, in other offices less accurate and even primitive methods of treatment have been retained, the phrase "other offices" is intended to include the Chester Assay Office; and, whether the Members of the Committee who visited the Chester Assay Office on the 14th of October last expressed themselves as entirely satisfied with the accuracy of the balances and the correctness of the appliances used therein?

THE PRESIDENT (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH) (Bristol, W.)

The paragraph refers to all the offices, including Chester, and the Committee, when at Chester, expressed no such opinion as the hon. Member refers to. Had they done so, it would have been beyond the scope of the inquiry.