§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the options he has under consideration relating to securing the sale of wine in prescribed quantities following his recent survey of the level of compliance with the code of conduct agreed by his Department and the trade; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what steps he has taken to inform all leading representatives of the licensed trade of the low compliance with the code of conduct on the sales of wine by measured glass, agreed with them two years ago; and if notice has been given that legislation on this matter is now being considered.
§ Mr. HowardIn the light of the results of the surveys carried out by local authorities to ascertain levels of compliance with the trade's voluntary code of practice for sales of wine by the glass, the Department will shortly be inviting the trade sponsors of the code to discuss the difficulties which their members have experienced in adopting its provisions and the ways in which observance of the code could be made more widespread.
The other options under consideration include legislation to introduce a range of prescribed standard sizes or to require wine to be sold by reference to volume without the restriction of a prescribed range.
However, legislation would not be justified until the possibility of a voluntary solution has been exhausted.