§ Mr. ROWLANDSasked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he is aware of the unrest existing on the part of the general and trading public whose contracts are generally based on railway weights, in connection with the weights of merchandise carried by railway companies, on account of the condition of their weighing apparatus; whether the requrements of the Weights and Measures Acts, and regulations relating particularly to Section 1 of the Act of 1889 and to Regulation 9 of the Weights and Measures Regulations, 1907, are complied with as regards railway companies; and, if not, will the Board take steps to require from inspectors of weights and measures, or alternatively from their local authorities, a Return giving a list of railway companies' weighbridges in their inspectorial districts, showing the number 556 of weighbridges which do not bear a stamp, as provided by the Act, and the dates of the stamps of the weighbridges which bear such?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Tennant)Weighing instruments in use on railway companies' premises for the purposes of trade, as defined in the Weights and Measures Acts, are subject to the provisions of those Acts and of the Regulations made thereunder. It is the duty of Inspectors of Weights and Measures to see that such instruments have been duly verified and stamped, and to test them from time to time. If my hon. Friend will furnish me with particulars of any case in which he has reason to believe that the Acts are not being put in force I will call the attention of the local authorities to the matter.