§ 21. Mr. Gardnerasked the Minister of Power whether he will take steps to amend the relevant statutes governing the construction and testing of gas and electricity meters to bring them within the scope of the weights and measures legislation.
§ Mr. FreesonElectricity and gas meters already have effective statutory controls and tests by independent Ministry examiners. The Hodgson Committee on Weights and Measures Legislation considered that a change would not justify the disturbance, because a special category of weights and measures inspectors would be needed. The Molony Committee saw no reason to change the arrangements.
§ Mr. GardnerI know that my hon. Friend has a close interest in these matters. Would he not accept that the cost of gas and electricity to the consumer is even more important than the areas of activity already covered by weights and measures inspectors employed by local authorities? Will he not reconsider this, in view of the growth of experience of local authority inspectors?
§ Mr. FreesonI do not think that the growth of experience of local authority inspectors would meet this point. They would need special training. I should have thought that the expansion of consumer protection on the part of local councils would have stretched the work of the weights and measures inspectors quite enough without adding further to their load.