§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what voting method will be used by the European Union to decide whether to implement the Precious Metals Directive. [133063]
§ Mr. Sutcliffe[holding answer 20 October 2003]: Qualified Majority Voting will be used.
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what effect the Precious Metals Directive would have upon UK hallmarking of gold and silver. [133064]
§ Mr. Sutcliffe[holding answer 20 October 2003]: Third party testing and marking would no longer be mandatory in the UK, and manufacturers would be able to choose whether to mark their own goods or send them to an assay office for marking. A full Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) will be done if the draft Directive is agreed.