§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what criteria her Department uses in determining what constitutes a pint of beer; and if the head is included in it.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThe relevant legislation, the Weights and Measures Act 1963, does not specify what constitutes a pint of beer. Prosecutions for short measure are entirely in the hands of local weights and measures authorities, and it is for the courts to determine whether the Act has been complied with. In one particular case, that of a well-known stout, the High Cort has ruled that the head is an integral part of the drink.