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Trials: Measurement

Volume 472: debated on Tuesday 4 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases are (a) under investigation and (b) awaiting court proceedings in respect of the use of imperial weights and measures; and if he will make a statement; (190478)

(2) what cases in which legal proceedings have been completed have been prosecuted in relation to preventing the use of imperial weights and measures in each of the last three years.

The available information on prosecutions under the Weights and Measures act 1985 for offences related to weights and measures provisions is provided in the following table:

Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts under the Weights and Measures Act 1985 for offences related to weights and measures provisions, England and Wales 2004-06 1 2

Proceeded against

2004

54

2005

37

2006

28

1 These data are provided on the principal offence basis.

2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete.

Notes:

However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts.

As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source:

Court Proceedings Database—Office For Criminal Justice Reform

It is not possible to identify the number of these prosecutions relating solely to the use of imperial weights and measures from other prosecutions under the Weights and Measurement Act 1985.

Enforcement of weights and measures legislation is undertaken by local authority Trading Standards Departments. Local authorities do not report the number of cases under investigations or awaiting trial under weights and measures legislation to my Department.