HC Deb 08 April 1952 vol 498 cc206-8W
77. Mr. Burden

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, on the British Standards Institution Committee of 23 members that recently produced draft wool definitions for use in connection with informative labelling, there was no representative of the distributive industry nor was there a representative of the consumer interests; and if he will ensure that in future both distributive trades and consumer interests are represented on such committees of the British Standards Institution engaged in producing definitions for informative labelling.

Mr. H. Strauss

The British Standards Institution is an independent body governed by Royal Charter and is alone responsible for the constitution of its technical committees. I understand that its Wool Industry Standards Committee does not include any permanent representatives of domestic users, chiefly because they are so many and varied that their representation would make the committee unwieldy. The Committee has, however, agreed to co-opt the appropriate user representatives for discussion of any particular project and for the discussion of the definitions to which my hon. Friend refers. I understand that representatives of the following organisations have been invited to attend: the Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation, the Light Clothing Federation, the National Federation of Merchant Tailors, the Wholesale Textile Association, the Retail Distributors' Association, the Retail Trading Standards Association and the Women's Advisory Committee of the B.S.I. Following is a list of the organisations to which the draft glossary has been circulated for comment.

Following is the list:

  • Crown Agents for the Colonies.
  • Institution of British Launderers.
  • Marks & Spencer, Ltd.
  • The Secretary, Ministry of Health.
  • Retail Trading-Standards Association.
  • Textile and Clothing Contractors Association.
  • Textile Institute.
  • Wool Textile Delegation.
  • G.S. Publication Section, M.E. Directorate, Army Headquarters, India.
  • Association of Wholesale Woollen Merchants Ltd.
  • Bradford Chamber of Commerce.
  • Furnishing Fabric Federation.
  • International Wool Secretariat.
  • Multiple Shops Federation.
  • National Association of Scottish Woollen Manufacturers.
  • Wholesale Textile Association.
  • Retail Distributors Association.
  • Clothing Industry Development Council.
  • Light Clothing Federation.
  • Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Association.
  • Apparel & Fashion Industry's Association.
  • James Goldrich, James & Gordon, Ltd.
  • National Hosiery Manufacturers' Federation.
  • Chief Inspector of Stores, Ministry of Supply
  • Chief Inspector of Clothing, Ministry of Supply.
  • Joint Equipment Standardisation Committee.
  • National Federation of Merchant Tailors.
  • Scottish National Federation of Merchant Tailors.

Mr. Dodds

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the concern arising from the fact that the committee of 23 engaged on producing wool definitions for informative labelling, contains no representative of the distributive industry or of consumer interests, but consists wholly of wool manufacturing interests; and if he will remedy this forthwith.

Mr. H. Strauss

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Burden) today.