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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1974
WEIGHT MARKING OF WRAPPED BREAD
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THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THAT THE CORRECT WEIGHT IS SHOWN ON A VRAPPED LOAF OF BREAD IS TO REQUIRE THIS TO BE DONE BY LEGISLATION, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. JAMES MCGREGOR, SAID TODAY.
IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, HE ADDED. TO APPLY SUCH A RULE TO UNWRAPPED BREAD, THE SALE OF WHICH IS DONE BY VERBAL CONTRACT.
MR. MCGREGOR WAS REPLYING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO A QUESTION FROM MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN WHO ASKED WHAT STEPS COULD BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT LOAVES OF BREAD WHEN SOLD TO THE PUBLIC CLEARLY INDICATE ON THE PACKAGE THE WEIGHT OF THE CONTENTS.
+THERE IS NO LEGISLATION AT PRESENT WHICH WOULD PERMIT THE MANDATORY MARKING OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ON FOODSTUFFS OR OTHER CONSUMER GOODS,+ SAID MR. MCGREGOR.
+ANY SUCH LEGISLATION WOULD, OF COURSE, HEAN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW RANGE OF INTERNAL CONTROLS WHICH WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL BACK-UP SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION, CHECKING AND LEGAL ACTION. CLEARLY, THIS COULD BE AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION.+
MR. MCGREGOR SAID THAT HE DID NOT WISH TO EXPRESS A VIEW AT THIS STAGE ON THE QUESTION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION BY MEANS OF PRODUCT MARKING.
+IT IS A MATTER WHICH DOES NOT SIMPLY INVOLVE THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, NOR INDEED IN ITS WIDEST CONTEXT ONLY THE GOVERNMENT. IT IS A MATTER OF VERY CONSIDERABLE INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND TO THE CONSUMER IN PARTICULAR, + HE SAID.
+THIS BEING SO, I SHOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT THIS MATTER, THAT IS THE COMPULSORY MARKING OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS, MIGHT BE CONSIDERED BY THE NEW CONSUMER COUNCIL IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.
+IN THE MEANTIME, I CONFIRM THAT IT IS AN OFFENCE IN LAW FOR ANY ITEM TO BE OFFERED OR SOLD UNDER FALSE OR MISLEADING MARKING. THAT APPLIES EQUALLY TO WRAPPED BREAD MARKED TO SHOW A WEIGHT WHICH IS NOT ACCURATE.+
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