COMMONS AMENDMENT (Hansard, 23 May 1968)

§ LORD WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons Amendment No. 14. This Amendment would extend Clause 26 to enable local weights and measures authorities, in addition to making test purchases of goods, to authorise their officers to secure the provision of such services, accommodation and facilities as may appear expedient for the purpose of determining whether the provisions of 875 the Bill are being complied with. Since these authorities will have a duty to enforce all the provisions of this Bill, including Clause 13, it seems sensible that they should have power to spend money on services etc. for this purpose, as well as on buying goods. I beg to move.

LORD HAWKE
My Lords, I have two regrets about this addition. First of all. I cannot help feeling that it will increase the army of weights and measures inspectors who will be required. In my opinion, the increase in the numbers of weights and measures forces will more than counterbalance any economies which the Government may make by slashing the Territorial Army. But "inspectors not defenders" is Socialism, so it looks as if we shall have to put up with it.
My other point is that the test purchases of services will land the person from whom they are purchased in a substantial loss, and he may prove to be innocent of any attempt to defraud. Normally speaking, in services such as hiring of articles the hirer has to rely on a far lengthier period than the minimum period in order to recoup himself of the cost of installation. Although there is an Amendment to insert a compensation clause after Clause 31, it applies only to goods which have been seized and are lost or damaged or deteriorate therefrom. There is no attempt to compensate an innocent hirer for the inspectors having entered into the matter purely for the purpose of testing some statement of prices with no intention whatsover of fulfilling the normal habit of the hirer, which is to keep the apparatus or whatever it may be well beyond the minimum period. For that reason I regret this. We cannot do anything about it, but perhaps the next time the Board of Trade have legislation in mind they will remember that compensation is due equally in regard to these sorts of losses as with goods which have been seized and deteriorate.

§ LORD WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, I am certain that the Board of Trade 876 will note what the noble Lord has said, and will bear it in mind in future.