HC Deb 22 December 1983 vol 51 cc351-2W
Mr. Stott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the number of weights and measures authorities in England and Wales (a) in 1973, (b) at present, and (c) under the circumstances that would apply under the proposals to abolish the metropolitan county councils.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information is as follows:

  1. (a) 228.
  2. (b) 86.
  3. (c) 116 (maximum, assuming that each metropolitan district council is designated as a local weights and measures authority).

Mr. Stott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many chief officers of trading standards service there are in the metropolitan county council areas; and how many there will be in those same areas under the proposals to abolish the metropolitan county councils.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

There are at present six chief officers responsible for trading standards services in the Metropolitan county councils; one for each. It is not possible to say how many there will be after the metropolitan county councils are abolished as that depends upon what arrangements the district councils in each area make for the discharge of these functions.

Mr. Stott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state for the latest available date the number of trading standards service staff employed in each metropolitan county council area, the number of metropolitan districts in each area, and the average number of such staff per metropolitan district in each metropolitan county area.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

My Department does not have this information.

Mr. Stott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the additional cost of providing the existing level of trading standards service in the areas of the six metropolitan county councils under the recent proposals for abolishing those authorities.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

I believe that the existing level of trading standards service can be provided by the district councils in the six metropolitan areas at no additional cost.

Mr. Stott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies his Department has conducted since 1979 on the relative efficiency of providing trading standards and consumer protection services in the various types of local authority in England and Wales; and if he will publish the main conclusions of such studies.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

My Department has conducted no such studies.

Mr. Stott

asked the Secretary for Trade and Industry if he will give the cost per head of population of the trading standards service for each of the last two available years for each of the groups of local authorities, namely, the metropolitan county councils, the shire counties and the London boroughs.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

My Department does not have the information on which to base such comparisons.