§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why manufacturers of weighing machines seeking pattern approval from his Department are experiencing delays of up to eight months; what steps he is taking to alleviate these delays; and if for purposes of comparison he will seek to discover how long it takes for such pattern approvals to be obtained by weighing machine manufacturers in Germany, France and Japan.
§ Mr. FletcherDelays in the examination of patterns are occurring because of continuing difficulty in recruiting and retaining specialist staff. Overtime is currently being worked and some redeployment of staff within the278W National Weights and Measures Laboratory is taking place in order to mitigate the problem. Information on time taken in Germany, France and Japan is not available, but I am having inquiries made.