HC Deb 31 October 1995 vol 265 cc209-10W
Mr. Mans

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements have been made with respect to transferring pre-paid fees liabilities from the National Measurement Accreditation Service to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. [40975]

Mr. Ian Taylor

An initial payment was made on 2 August 1995. Under the terms of the business transfer agreement, a second payment will be made on completion of the closing accounts.

Parliamentary approval for this new service will be sought in a winter supplementary estimate for the Department of Trade and Industry's programmes and administration vote—class IV, vote 1. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £1,030,000 is being met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

Mr. Mans

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the establishment of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. [40974]

Mr. Taylor

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service became operational on 1 August. UKAS has taken over the work of the National Measurement Accreditation Service— formerly part of an executive agency within the Department of Trade and Industry—and the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies, a council of the British Standards Institution. It provides a unified national accreditation service for laboratories performing tests and calibrations as well as bodies undertaking the certification of products, personnel or systems, including environmental management and audit systems.

UKAS has been established as a private sector company limited by guarantee. Its membership comprises bodies which, when taken together, provide a balance of accreditation interests—direct customers, business customers for testing and certification, end-users of products and services and Government. A memorandum of understanding with the Department recognises its unique national role in specified areas of accreditation. UKAS will issue accreditation certificates using the familiar NAMAS and NACCB logos incorporating the Crown, provided that it complies with the terms of a licensing agreement requiring it to operate with integrity and impartiality, and in strict compliance with national and international regulations and standards.

This development follows a public consultation during 1994 on the future provision of accreditation services in the United Kingdom, and the Government's decision in December 1994 to merge NAMAS and NACCB to form a company limited by guarantee in the course of 1995.