Written question asked by John Wilkinson (Conservative) on Friday, 7 July 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 13 July 2000. It was answered by Alan Johnson (Labour) on Thursday, 13 July 2000 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total cost to his Department will be in the financial year 2000-01 of the salaries of the trading standards officers employed by his Department to enforce the law requiring the sale of goods in metric units; how many trading standards officers are employed by his Department to enforce the implementation of the law requiring the sale of goods in metric units. - Includes no figures. (Holding answer 12 July 2000).

Answer: Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the total cost to his Department will be in the financial year 2000-01 of the salaries of the trading standards officers employed by his Department to enforce the law requiring the sale of goods in metric units; [130268] (2) how many trading standards officers are employed by his Department to enforce the implementation of the law requiring the sale of goods in metric units. [130271] Mr. Alan Johnson: [holding answer 12 July 2000]: The Department of Trade and Industry is not responsible for enforcing the use by traders of prescribed units of measurement for the sale of goods. Enforcement is undertaken by the local authorities, as part of their wider responsibility for trading standards. Each authority decides how many staff it will employ on trading standards work, and the allocation of staff time (and therefore of staff costs) between the different areas of enforcement.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 353 c621W;353 c619W; 130268;130271
Session: 1999-00
Subjects: Costs Enforcement Measurement Staff Metrication Retail trade Trading standards
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk