§ 21. Mr. ALBERYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state what action has been taken as a result of the conference on standardisation?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMWith the hon. Member's permission I will circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Following is the statement:
The recommendations contained in the report of the conference on standardisation, and endorsed by the Imperial Conference, are being followed up in various directions. The British Engineering Standards Association is extending its scope and will I hope as a result be able to enlarge its activities; and steps are being taken to develop further the already existing co-operation between the Association in this country and the central standardising bodies in other parts of the Empire on the lines suggested by the conference. The standard specifications issued by the Association are adopted wherever possible by the purchasing departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, and endeavours are being made to encourage their adoption to the greatest possible extent by local authorities. With the aid of the Central Committee on Standardisation and Simplification the Board of Trade are also endeavouring to encourage the extension of that form of standardisation commonly known as simplification, and in this connection an index is being compiled to specifications in use by large buyers and others. As regards fundamental standards of weight and measure, certain of the competent authorities in the Empire are considering the acquisition and maintenance of suitable standards and have been in correspondence with the Board of Trade and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research with regard to this matter.