§ 7.28 p.m.
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, I beg to move that the Weights and Measures Act 1963 (Miscellaneous Foods) Order 1984, which was laid before your Lordships' House on 4th July, be approved.
For the convenience of the House, it is my intention, unless any Members of your Lordships' House disagree, to speak together to the three orders which stand in my name. Since these three orders are plainly concerned with food and drink it may be that your Lordships have looked forward to this debate with some anticipation. I am afraid that some noble Lords may find this fare a little less substantial than they had hoped.
The orders are necessary to make some minor changes to the provisions of weights and measures law concerned with the sale of foods and drinks. None the less they would usefully extend the protection afforded to consumers and promote more equitable trading. For example, they will require virtually all cheeses to be sold by reference to weight. Although some retailers customarily sell and price prepacked portions of soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert by weight, the practice is by no means universal.
In addition, there are two main purposes behind the orders. In the first place, they implement certain provisions of the European Council directive on food labelling (Directive 79/112/EEC) which requires food and drink prepackaged in quantities of five grams or five millilitres or more to be marked with the quantity of the contents. Since existing legislation contains a general exemption from quantity marking for specified foods packed in very small packages—for example, half ounce or one ounce; or, in liquid measure, three fluid ounces—noble Lords will appreciate that in the case of intoxicating liquor these changes are largely of academic interest.
The second purpose of the orders is to effect a very necessary simplification and consolidation of legislation which is currently contained in Schedule 4 to the Weights and Measures Act 1963 and 20 separate orders made under that Act. The consolidation into three separate orders will help to reduce the cost to trade and to local authorities of replacing legislation. The Government also believe that this will make it considerably easier, particularly for enforcement officers, to understand the rationale behind them.
The provisions of the orders have been the subject of wide consultation over a period of three years and have received considerable support from consumers and enforcement authorities. Obviously some compromises have had to be made between conflicting interests, but where controls have been extended the justification for doing so has been accepted by trade and industry.
Your Lordships will wish to know that these orders have been considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, but the committee did not draw the special attention of the House to them. In the 711 light of what I have said, I beg to move the first order standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That the draft Order laid before the House on 4th July be approved.—(Lord Lucas of Chilworth.)
§ Lord Stoddart of SwindonMy Lords, I shall be very brief. So far as we can see, the orders are perfectly acceptable. We have no objection to them, and we are quite happy for them to pass without further discussion.
§ Lord MottistoneMy Lords, I should like briefly to intervene. As an adviser to the Cake and Biscuit Alliance, I have to say that we are very pleased about the discussions that went on with the Ministry over this order, and accept it as being a very good solution to the problem. It may be complicated for your Lordships to read, but in fact it makes a lot of sense. I should like to support it.
The Lord Bishop of NorwichMy Lords, from these Benches I should like to support these measures because I do it historically. The noble Lord will know that, though I speak from these Benches as the Lord Bishop of Norwich, I am the only undissolved abbot in the Church of England from the sixteenth century. I still am Abbot of Saint Benet's, that great monastery on the Norfolk Broads where, on the first Sunday in August, I sail down river and have an open-air service. It was our custom 400 years ago always to take a personal interest in all matters concerning cheese, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. I just wanted to make the historical note that I am the only undissolved abbot, and to assert that I sit in this House not only as the Lord Bishop of Norwich but as the Abbot of Saint Benet's—and, so far, this has not been refuted by the highest advice available in this House. I therefore support the orders very keenly.
§ Lord MottistoneMy Lords, before the right reverend Prelate sits down, will he tell us whether he is therefore a right reverend abbot, or has he another introductory phrase?
The Lord Bishop of NorwichMy Lords, I claim to sit on these Benches in two capacities, both as a right reverend Prelate and as a right reverend abbot. The historical workers behind the scenes in this House have not yet been able to disprove my right to sit here as an abbot, and I still do.
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, for his acceptance of these quite important orders. I am glad to know that he can see no difficulty here. I am also grateful to my noble friend Lord Mottistone, whose interest in the food business when wearing another hat is well known to us all. I had not realised that the right reverend Prelate, as the undissolved Abbot of Saint Benet's, actually sailed down the river enjoying the biscuits, the cheese and the other foodstuffs which are the subject-matter of the orders before us this evening. Equally, of course, I am grateful to him for his general support for them. They are indeed important orders in that they regulate matters 712 which are of consumer interest and of interest to the trade and industry.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.