HC Deb 20 March 1972 vol 833 cc215-6W
73. Sir Bernard Braine

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will now take steps to ensure that all imports of electronic equipment conform to British Standards Institute standards.

Mr. R. C. Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to prohibit the importation and use in domestic apparatus of electrical components which do not conform to British Standards Institution specifications.

Mr. Warren

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ban the import of electrical and electronic consumer durable goods containing components which do not conform to British Standard Institution specifications.

Mr. Bishop

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, having regard to the need to avoid the imposition of tariffs, import quotas and other restrictions in dealing with the problems of undercutting imports of radio, electronic, ball-bearing and other components from the Far East, he will take steps to ensure that such imports comply with British Standards Institution and other specification requirements which are demanded of British manufacturers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ridley

In order to improve quality and to exploit the benefits of standardisation, the Government have given full support to the BS 9000 scheme of standard specification and quality assurance for electronic components. The Government support includes giving a strong preference to BS 9000 components in their own purchasing, and making the services of the Ministry of Defence quality assurance organisation available to ensure that components manufactured under the scheme are to the standards specified.

But I have no power to compel manufacturers to comply with this scheme. I consider it would be wrong to prohibit imports which do not conform to the BS 9000 standards unless a corresponding statutory obligation were laid on British manufacturers.

Similar considerations apply to ball bearings and other components, and also to electronic equipment and other goods that contain any of these components.