HC Deb 26 November 1969 vol 792 cc401-3
11. Mr. Blaker

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for altering the law relating to the hallmarking of gold and silver wares; what representations he has received for and against abandoning the system of compulsory hallmarking; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Dudley Smith

asked the President of the Board of Trade when his inquiry into hallmarking will be completed; and what representations he has received that it should be abandoned.

60 and 61. Mr. Wiggin

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he has considered the recommendations of the Consumer Council on the hallmarking of gold and silver; and what conclusion he has reached;

(2) what plans he has for bringing up to date the assay and hallmarking laws.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody

Consultations about the basis on which reform of the hallmarking law should proceed are still in progress. Pending their completion— hope within next few weeks —I cannot reach conclusions, but the views so far expressed are unanimously in favour of a compulsory hallmarking system.

Mr. Blaker

Can the hon. Lady give an assurance that the compulsory hallmarking system will be retained?

Mrs. Dunwoody

I ask the hon. Gentleman to await the results of the discussions. It would be wrong to commit oneself to a conclusion now. The Stone Committee reported 10 years ago. We have been looking at the need to update this law before we reach any definite conclusions.

Mr. Dudley Smith

Has this inquiry come about through pressure from other E.F.T.A. members? If we do try to achieve some harmonisation with these countries, it will lead to an inevitable deterioration in the hallmarking standards which are so good in the United Kingdom.

Mrs. Dunwoody

Any reform of a law we have had since mediaeval times seems hardly a rapid change. All we are doing is to recognise that hallmarking has a part to play in our exports, and we want to see whether it needs modernising in any way.

Mr. Wiggin

Is the hon. Lady aware that there is a good deal of feeling, both in the Consumer Council and in the Assay Office, that not only should the law be kept as it is but that it should be consolidated and modernised? Will she bear this in mind?

Mrs. Dunwoody

It is because we feel that the law may need modernising in some ways that we have started these talks. A certain amount of unnatural heat has been generated by what have been careful exploratory talks.

Mr. Ridley

Is the hon. Lady aware that the unique advantage of hallmarking is that it protects the consumer not only on the first sale but on subsequent changes of hands in the future? In view of what has been said, will she drop this inquiry and leave the system as it is?

Mrs. Dunwoody

We have had a system of hallmarking for many hundreds of years and perhaps now it is time that some of the laws were tightened up. We are looking at the subject again following the Stone Committee's Report suggesting that possibly it is time that there were certain minor modifications. But these can only come after discussion with the people concerned.

Mr. Julius Silverman

Will my hon. Friend assure us that if minor modifications are made in the law to bring it up to date, it will still contain a compulsory element in hallmarking?

Mrs. Dunwoody

That is one of the points we are examining. I would not like to commit myself, although I think that that may well be so.