The Hallmarking (Hallmarking Act Amendment) Order 1998

Statutory Instruments

1998 No. 2979

HALLMARK

The Hallmarking (Hallmarking Act Amendment) Order 1998

Made

3rd December 1998

Laid before Parliament

4th December 1998

Coming into force

1st January 1999

The Secretary of State, in exercise of his powers under paragraph 1(1)(b) of Part IV of Schedule 1 to the Hallmarking Act 1973(1), hereby makes the following Order:—

1.  This Order may be cited as the Hallmarking (Hallmarking Act Amendment) Order 1998 and shall come into force on 1st January 1999.

2.—(1) Schedule 1 to the Hallmarking Act 1973 shall be amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 10(b) of Part II, for the date “1900”, in both places where it occurs, there shall be substituted the date “1920”.

Kim Howells

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competition and Consumer Affairs,

Department of Trade and Industry

3rd December 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Hallmarking Act 1973 by extending the scope of the exemption from hallmarking of articles of minimum fineness. The exemption now applies to any article of minimum fineness manufactured before 1920, instead of before 1900, as previously provided. The exemption remains subject to the condition that the article has not been the subject of any alteration since the beginning of 1920, which would be an improper alteration if the article had previously borne approved hallmarks.

The Order will come into force on 1st January 1999. A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been drawn up by the Department of Trade and Industry and is available from Consumer Affairs Directorate 1e, Bay 464, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET (Tel: [phone]). Copies have been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

(1)

1973 c. 43.