Written question asked by Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour) on Monday, 16 June 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 June 2003. It was answered by Patricia Hewitt (Labour) on Thursday, 26 June 2003 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 Government's policy is on change of ISO 9000 certification to the latest version of ISO 9001:2000.

Answer: Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on change of ISO 9000 certification to the latest version of ISO 9001:2000. [120289] Ms Hewitt: All ISO standards are reviewed at least every five years to ensure they continue to meet the needs of business and industry. ISO 9001:2000 is the most recent version of the ISO 9000 series of quality management systems and has been produced by quality and industry experts working under the aegis of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). From 15 December 2003 it is the intention of the certification organisations only to issue certificates against the new standard. It is a matter for individual businesses to decide whether to be certified against the new standard. However, ISO 9001:2000 is intended to reflect modern management approaches and the experience gained in industry and commerce over the past 25 years, with the focus moving from compliance to achieving results, and as such it is welcomed by the government. We hope that businesses will use the new standard to improve their productivity and competitiveness and that as many as possible will transfer to the new standard.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 120289; 407 c925W;407 c926-7W
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Companies Quality control Standards International Organization for Standardization
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk