HC Deb 28 January 1970 vol 794 cc1522-3
1. Mr. Blaker

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to announce the result of his inquiries about reform of the law relating to hall-marking of gold and silver wares.

26. Mr. Dudley Smith

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now state his decision on the future of hall-marking.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody)

We are satisfied that reform of the law should be based on compulsory hall-marking of gold, silver and platinum wares, with limited exemptions. Extensive consultations on the complex details will be required before we can propose legislation.

Mr. Blaker

Is the hon. Lady aware that her statement about the retention of compulsory hall-marking is welcome as far as it goes? But is she further aware that reform of the law in other respects is becoming urgent? Can she say when legislation will come forward?

Mrs. Dunwoody

The retention of compulsory hall-marking will be of use not only to the consumer, but to the industry as a whole. We are discussing points of detail with the industry and I do not think that we can estimate how long this will take, since they are so complex. It would be better to take sufficient time to get the right answers.

Mr. Dudley Smith

Is the hon. Lady aware that her statement will be generally welcomed? Will she also agree that the hall-marking system is indisputably the best protection for the public?

Mrs. Dunwoody

The system has survived for hundreds of years, which seems to indicate that it is a satisfactory one. There are still problems and I would not like it supposed that this is something which does not need looking at from time to time. It is still possible to mislead with hall-marking as well as to assist.

Mrs. Knight

Can the hon. Lady give any hint of the type of goods she classifies as the limited exceptions?

Mrs. Dunwoody

Detailed discussions are going on and I can give only a broad indication to the hon. Lady. There are still some things to be settled, like the treatment of articles in which precious metal is combined with other components. It is a very involved subject.