§ 28. Miss Fookesasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to amend the law to ensure that companies proved to have sold short weight cannot successfully defend themselves on the grounds that it was a fault on the part of the machines used and not of their employees.
§ Mr. EmeryI am not persuaded that amendment is necessary. The Weights and Measures Act 1963 makes certain defences available to the trader who inadvertently gives short weight because of a genuine mistake, accident or other cause beyond his control. To invoke such a defence he must satisfy the courts that he took all reasonable precautions to avoid committing the offence.
251WAt the moment I have no evidence that this defence has seriously frustrated the weights and measures inspectors from properly enforcing the Act, but I will keep the matter under review.