§ Mr. EnnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now make a statement about his plans for the National Weights and Measures Laboratory. [133933]
§ Dr. HowellsFurther to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 28 June 2000,Official Report, column 518W about the review of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, Ministers have now considered the reviewer's report. The reviewer has recommended that the policy part of NWML should be taken back into the Department organisationally and that the operational part should be contractorised by merger with the National Physical Laboratory, which is already contractorised. However, he accepted the view of the Review Steering Board that this option should not be pursued until a business plan for the merger could be prepared and until Ministers had assessed its value for money and feasibility. Ministers recognise that the recommended course of action has disadvantages as well as advantages. Nothing will be decided until further studies are complete. The reviewer's report will be published shortly. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House and on the Department's internet website.