§ Colonel DAYasked the Home Secretary the number of prosecutions instituted against retailers for the use of unjust scales, giving the number of cases where the balance was favourable to the retailer, the number of cases where the balance was favourable to the purchaser, 1084W and the number of cases out of the total which resulted in conviction?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI have been asked to reply. Prosecutions under the Weights and Measures Acts are instituted by the Inspectors of Weights and Measures who are officers of the local weights and measures authorities, of which there are more than 300. As to the number and nature of the cases, and the results of them, my Department has no information beyond that contained in the annual reports of the inspectors to their authorities. The compilation of a statement such as the hon. and gallant Member desires would therefore be a lengthy task.