Changes in Weights and Measures Bill
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THE Weights and Measures Bill was I. last week altered so that people carrying goods for reward, such as common carriers, will not be liable for an offence if the goods are wrongly marked.
Moving the amendment which brought this about, Mr. Denzil Freeth, Parliamentary Secretary for Science, told the Commons that the van driver or the messenger boy would not be covered by the amendment, since they would not normally be carrying goods for reward.
He did not think it wholly right that they should be exempted, because in some cases the deficiency might actually be caused by the van driver or messenger.
The amendment was agreed to without a division, as was one moved by Mr. David Price, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, which enabled the buyer or seller of a whole load of goods on a road vehicle who wished the vehicle to be check-weighed to call in an inspector to require this to be done instead of himself requiring it to be done.
Another series of accepted Government amendments tightened up safeguards in connection with public weighing equipment. Mr. Freeth explained that they would ensure that if an attendant at a machine delivered a false statement of the weight of anything, or made a false record of any weighing he would be guilty of an offence. The same would apply if an attendant issued a statement of weight of an article,. vehicle or animal which he had not actually weighed.
Similarly, if he did not weigh the vehicle, but gave the driver a blank ticket in order that the driver Could insert a false statement of -weight 'himself, then both attendant and driver would be guilty of an offence.
Passenger. Transport Committee for London AA PASSENGER Transport Committee for London is to be set up, announced Mie Marples in the Commons this week. Its members will include the vice-chairman of the London 'Transport Board and a member of...the .Railways Board with other members and officers of both co-opted from time to time.
He said that the vorninittee would advise the two boards on niatterS of common concern in relation to the provision of passenger transport services in the London area and report with recommendations on matters sent to them by the chairmen of the two boards.
The committee would keep under review and advise the two boards on the machinery required to secure proper co-operation between them at all levels, went on Mr. Marples. It would also set op sub-committees to deal with special aspects of co-operation including longterm planning and day-to-day problems affecting both boards.