§ 3 Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade how many examples of grossly misleading advertisements concerning the costs of manufacture of cutlery have been brought to the attention of his Department in the past 12 months.
§ The Minister for Consumer Affairs (Mrs. Sally Oppenheim)I understand that the hon. Gentleman's question has been misprinted and should refer to "country of manufacture." I understand that I was free to choose whether to answer the question as printed or as corrected on the telephone by the hon. Gentleman, and I have decided to answer the question that he intended to table.
The answer is that during the last 12 months my attention has been drawn to specific complaints about three cutlery advertisements and one holloware advertisement, all alleging that the indication of origin was false or misleading. I have referred these to the Advertising Standards Authority, which is now pursuing them.
§ Mr. HooleyI am very much obliged to the right hon. Lady for replying to the question in its correct form. It was the printer's mistake, not mine. Is she aware that it is reasonable that customers should be able to choose whether they want to buy British or other cutlery? But will she also agree that it is wholly unreasonable that British firms should blatantly pretend that their products are British when they are not?
§ Mrs. OppenheimMy job is to ensure that consumers are correctly informed and not misled by advertisements or by descriptions. That is why I am making special provision for this and other aspects of the cutlery industry in the origin marking orders which I intend to lay before the House shortly, and which the hon. Gentleman will note were not contemplated by the previous labour Government.