§ 20. Mr. J. Silvermanasked the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to introduce legislation to implement the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Hallmarking.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (Mr. Niall Macpherson)While my right hon. Friend accepts that the existing hallmarking statutes should be replaced by new legislation, he cannot yet say when it will be possible to do so. He is considering, in the light of the Departmental Committee's Report, what form such legislation might take.
§ Mr. SilvermanAs it is now more than three years since the Departmental Committee reported and made its recommendations, is it not about time the Government got down to it and decided which of the recommendations they intend to implement, and when?
§ Mr. MacphersonThe fact is that the law was described as archaic and confused. It is the accretion of centuries, and it takes some time to examine these matters.
§ Mr. SilvermanNot more than three years.