COMMONS AMENDMENT (Hansard, 18 November 1976)

Lord ORAM

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 7. On this Motion I will also speak to Amendments 10, 17, 18 and 19. Since I have mentioned Amendment No. 18, I should like to call your Lordships' attention to a misprint. Unfortunately the figures "18" have not been included in the Marshalled List. Towards the 1580 end of Page 7 of the Marshalled List the figures "18" should appear in the margin against the word "Schedule". I think that puts the matter in order.

This group of Amendments introduces new provisions relating to transactions in solid fuel and amends the existing provisions contained in Schedule 6 to the Weights and Measures Act 1963 and the corresponding Northern Ireland legislation. The principal changes effected by the Amendments are, first, that metric prescribed quantities of 25kg and 50kg are introduced in addition to the existing range of Imperial quantities in which solid fuel is required to be made up for sale. Secondly, the Schedule excepts metric quantities of solid fuel in open-topped sacks from the general requirement that solid fuel shall be made up for sale only if the container is marked with an indication of the net weight. The main new requirement as far as Great Britain is concerned is that when solid fuel is carried on a road vehicle for sale or for delivery after sale and it is made up for sale in metric quantities in containers which are not securely closed, an indication of those metric quantities and the name and address of the seller must be displayed on the vehicle. I should add that Northern Ireland legislation already requires that road vehicles carrying solid fuel should display an indication of the quantities carried.

These new provisions reflect the extensive consultations the Department has held with trade, consumer and enforcement interests. The fact that metric open-topped sacks of solid fuel will not be required to be quantity marked will not lead to any lessening of consumer protection. The existing requirement for sacks to carry a quantity indication (a metal tally) is ineffective since, given the robust nature of the trade, many of these tallies become detached or are frequently rendered illegible. A "quantity indication" notice displayed on a coal lorry is at least as effective a form of consumer protection and has worked well in Northern Ireland for a number of years.