§ 79. Sir FREDERICK CAWLEYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has done anything to meet the complaints of safety-lamp manufacturers that they are charged a high fee for having lamps tested, whilst for testing lamps in Germany, France, and Austria there is no charge, and that the testing station is not accessible and causes inconvenience; and will he say under what Statute the Government have power to levy fees for testing safety lamps?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt has been found possible, in view of the large number of lamps which the makers propose to submit, to make substantial reductions in the fees as originally fixed. The fees are so fixed as merely to cover the expenditure actually incurred in connection with the testing of a lamp, and no statutory authority is required for charging the fees. The testing station was established at Eskmeals because the Home Office already had an experimental station there, and the work could be carried out more economically for the makers as well as more conveniently for the Department than if the Home Office had had to acquire a special site and appoint a special staff. It may be possible later on to make arrangements for its transfer to a more central spot.