To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to privatise the national weights and measures laboratory.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 4 May 1993, Official Report, column 4.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the National Weights and Measures Laboratory for 1993–94.

I have set the National Weights and Measures Laboratory the following targets for 1993–94: to operate within its current expenditure budget;

to achieve the specific objectives set out in its current Corporate Plan; and

to reduce the real unit cost of a programme-hour by 2 per cent.

The National Weights and Measures Laboratory is also required to meet a number of other targets, including quality of service targets. Its achievements against these last year will appear in its annual report 1992–93, which is due for publication shortly.In addition, I have set the chief executive of the agency the targets of replying to letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for replying Within 10 working days; and producing auditable commercial-style accounts for the agency for 1993–94.