§ Mr. McTaggartasked the Secretary of State for Industry how much is charged per individual test to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise for the testing of beer for original gravity at (a) the Glasgow outstation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and (b) the Liverpool outstation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and for the testing of potable spirits for percentage volume of alcohol at (i) the Glasgow outstation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, (ii) the Liverpool outstation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and (iii) the London headquarters of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallCharges for work carried out at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist are not made on the basis of individual tests. Invoices are raised quarterly to cover all work done for customer departments. Overall charges are intended to recover the total costs to the laboratory of providing the services.
§ Mr. McTaggartasked the Secretary of State for Industry how much it costs per individual sample for the following (a) testing of beer for original gravity at (i) the Glasgow outstation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and (ii) the Liverpool outstation of Laboratory of the Government Chemist and (b) the testing of potable spirits of percentage volume of alcohol at (i) the Glasgow outstation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, (ii) the Liverpool outstation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and (iii) the London Headquarters of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallSeparate operating costs for the headquarters and outstations of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist are not readily available. Moreover the actual cost per individual sample can change from day to day as the sample throughput rate varies, and can also depend on how much work the sample requires.
If the mean costs per sample falling directly upon the Department of Industry are calculated as annual averages, then the ratios are as follows:
Beer
Liverpool: Glasgow 100: 150
Spirits
Liverpool: London: Glasgow 100: 135: 234
The cost of spirit work in London reflects the higher grade staff employed there on essential advisory duties.
The indirect costs, which arise from services carried out for LGC by other Government Departments, could be included only after a long and expensive investigation.