§ 18. Mrs. Middletonasked the President of the Board of Trade when the committee of inquiry into weights and measures administration and legislation is to be set up; and whether he is yet in a position to announce the personnel of the committee and its terms of reference.
§ The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Harold Wilson)This committee has been set up and has already held its first meeting. I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate the terms of reference and the names of the members in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mrs. MiddletonIn view of the fact that Government and Government-sponsored organisations are more and more entering into matters of trade, would my right hon. Friend consider so widening the terms of reference of this committee as to enable the committee to inquire whether such organisations, Government or Government-sponsored, can be brought under the aegis of Board of Trade inspectors in order that weighing and measuring appliances used by them may conform to the same standards as those used in ordinary retail trades?
§ Mr. WilsonI am not sure what my hon. Friend has in mind, but when she sees the terms of reference she will find, I think, that they are pretty wide.
§ Following is the information:
§ The terms of reference are: "To review the existing weights and measures legislation and other legislation containing provisions affecting weights and measures and the administration thereof, and to make recommendations for bringing these into line with present day requirements."
§ The list of members is as follows:
§ Chairman—Sir Edward H. Hodgson, K.B.E., C.B., formerly a Second Secretary, Board of Trade.
§ 1. From Commerce
- Mr. C. L. Boynton—Company Director in the Wholesale Greengrocery trade.
- Mr. A. Carruth—General Manager of the Dalziel Co-operative Society.
- Mr. K. A. Cleland—Director of a Middlesex firm of Coal Merchants.
- Mr. G. Kingham—Chairman of a firm of Wholesale Grocers.
- Mr. D. B. Morgan, J.P.—Chairman of a large Department Store in Cardiff.
§ 2. From the Consuming Public
- Mrs. Rosa Pearson—A resident of Gates-head. National President of the Women's Co-operative Guild.
- Mrs. Margaret Turner—A housewife, resident in Lavenham, Suffolk.
§ 3. From those with technical experience in Weights and Measures
- Mr. A. Jacob—A member of a Birmingham firm of scale-makers.
- Mr. J. E. Sears, C.B.E.—Formerly Head of Metrology Division at the National Physical Laboratory, and President of the "Union des Poids et Mesures."
§ 4. From those with experience in administering existing law
- Mr. H. J. C. Davies—Formerly Chief Officer of the Public Control Department of the London County Council.
- Mr. T. H. Jenks, M.B.E.—Formerly Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures of the County of Buckingham.
- Mr. J. Storrar, M.C., B.L., S.S.C.—The Town Clerk of Edinburgh.
- Mr. S. A. ff. Dakin—The Assistant Secretary in the Board of Trade branch responsible for the Standards Department.