HC Deb 20 February 1958 vol 582 cc1373-4
15. Mr. Dodds

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is being done to encourage a uniform method of describing man-made fibre fabrics as an important step towards informative labelling of textiles so that many of the difficulties now being experienced by the public, laundries, dry cleaning and dyeing firms through lack of information will be removed.

The President of the Board of Trade (Sir David Eccles)

The British Standards Institution has recently published a standard setting out a uniform method of describing man-made fibre fabrics. This was prepared in consultation with all sections of the industry and with wholesalers. makers-up, retailers and consumers, who will presumably now make use of it.

Mr. Dodds

In view of the fact that there are numerous new fibres which are making textiles so complex that even experienced retail buyers find them a mystery—and bearing in mind all the hard work to which the right hon. Gentleman has referred—is it not obvious that for the benefit of all concerned, and especially the public, we should have something more definite than a pious hope that manufacturers will take up this informative labelling so as to avoid undue waste, which the country cannot afford? What is the Minister doing to encourage this?

Sir D. Eccles

I believe that they will take it up, but it is not Government policy to have compulsory labelling.