§ MR. S. COLLINGS (Lambeth, Kennington)I beg to ask the President the Board of Trade if he is aware that the Sales of Gas Act, 1859, prescribes the method of testing gas meters, but makes no provision for testing the indices of these meters, although the largest amount of errors is likely to arise in such indices; that the Astronomer Royal reported to the Treasury in 1860 that this omission rendered the Act nugatory and useless; that a Select Committee of the House reported in favour of amending the Act; that in 1870 the Standards Commission 865 also reported that the Act should be amended and the Board of Trade given power to make regulations; and that the Board of Trade prepared the draft of an amending Bill in 1882; and whether the Board of Trade is now prepared to introduce a Bill, or to take any other measures to remedy the present state of the law as to testing gas meters.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEThe Act in question does not specificially lay down the method of testing the indices of gas meters, but it does require that no meter shall be stamped unless it registers correctly within certain limits. I am aware that, as stated by my hon. friend, attention has from time to time been called to the absence of precise directions as to the testing of indices, but the Board of Trade have not received any complaint on this point for some years past. I shall, however, be happy to look further into the matter, and to consider whether any steps seem necessary.