§ Mr. Sheerman:To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how she will ensure that more than the estimated 20 per cent. of United Kingdom companies comply with ISO 9001:2000 before 15 December. [14066]
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§ Ms Hewitt:My Department does not collect information on companies certified to the ISO 9000 standards. However figures produced by the International Standards Organisation indicate that, in December 2002, there were 60,960 ISO 9000 certifications in the UK. Companies have had three years notice that the transition period for the migration of accredited certification, from the 1994 editions of the standard to ISO 9001:2000, would end on 14 December 2003. My Department has provided information about the new edition on its website. From the information my officials have received from representatives of certification bodies, about 90 per cent. of their UK customers are expected to make the transition successfully by the due date.