§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the current legal and financial basis of the British Standards Institution; and what charges he expects to be made in it when the single market is complete.
§ Mr. Sainsbury[holding answer 8 June 1992]: The British Standards Institution (BSI) is an independent body, incorporated by royal charter. It is not part of Government and its legal basis is therefore not a matter for the Government.
The Government's financial involvement with BSI is limited to a grant contribution, to the income of BSI Standards. The institution also comprises two other operating divisions, BSI quality assurance and BSI testing, which are run on a purely commercial basis without Government grants.