§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for trade and Industry in what circumstances the Radiocommunications Agency issues type approval certificates to companies which are not equipped with the identical test equipment used for type approval testing.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 19 June 1991]: Type approval relates to an item of radio equipment submitted for type testing and approval against the appropriate specification or standard. The equipment submitted for type approval is required to be a representative sample of production equipment. Submissions for type testing are made by manufacturers or importers who are not assessed as to their technical abilities or access to technical facilities. Notwithstanding this the applicant has the responsibility to ensure that the equipment supplied to the market place complies fully with the specification or standard against which it was approved. Many large radio manufacturers have fully equipped and certified test laboratories which they use in the design and development of their products. However, smaller manufacturers and importers do not have the personnel, financial resources or suitable laboratory facilities to set up fully certified test facilities. In many cases they make use of external test facilities on a consultancy basis.