HC Deb 28 April 1994 vol 242 cc248-9W
Mrs. Browning

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to review the status of the National Measurement Accreditation Service and the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies.

Mr. McLoughlin

On 14 April, in announcing the Government's conclusions on the future of the DTI laboratories, I said that separate consideration would be given to the future of the National Measurement Accreditation Service—the NAMAS—which is currently part of the National Physical Laboratory—the NPL. The report by consultants KPMG Peat Marwick recommended that NAMAS should be separated from the NPL and consideration given to its merger with the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies—the NACCB. NAMAS accredits testing and calibration laboratories; the NACCB advises the DTI on the accreditation of bodies which perform certification of quality systems, products and personnel.

The NACCB is currently a council of the British Standards Institution, a royal charter body, having been established under a memorandum of understanding between the DTI and BSI. The NACCB's status has itself been under review and the Government, the BSI and the NACCB agree that the link with the BSI should now be severed and the NACCB given a new independent status. In this context also there have been calls for a merger of the NACCB with the NAMAS.

The Government see a number of benefits in creating a merged body, including better policy co-ordination, a higher profile for accreditation, the pooling of expertise, and advantages internationally. Before proceeding further, however, I have decided to seek the views of all interested parties on a merger, and my Department is issuing a consultation document on the subject today.

The Government remain committed to a strong and effective national accreditation system. A new merged body would need to maintain impartiality, integrity, and national authority, in order to assure the continuing status of accreditation both at home and abroad. I am not convinced, however, that the new body would need to be within Government in order to do this. My objective is for the new body to be given the greatest degree of freedom from Government control which would be consistent with the attainment of our policy objectives, and with the need for integrity and impartiality.

The consultation document seeks comments on the appropriate relationship between a merged body and Government. It also seeks views on a number of related matters, including whether accreditation should be open to organisations not based in the United Kingdom.

I have today placed copies of the consultation document in the Libraries of both Houses. Responses to the document are requested by 15 June. I will report the outcome of the consultation exercise, and the Government's conclusions, to the House in due course.