Public shows overwhelming support for hallmarking

THOUSANDS of people have urged the Government to leave hallmarking alone in its drive to cut red tape, giving a major boost for Birmingham’s Assay Office.

The office, which employs more than 140 people, feared many of its staff would have to be laid off if hallmarking was abolished. The process accounts for more than half of the business of the Office, but its scrapping seems to have been given the thumbs down by the public in a government consultation exercise labelled the Red Tape Challenge.

More than 2,000 people logged on to the initiative’s website to voice their support for the principle of hallmarking, which gives consumers assurances as to the quality of the precious metal items.

The response far outweighed comments on other retail topics on the site, with Sunday trading legislation getting 1,700 comments.

But with a further three weeks to go before the public consultation closes, the Assay Office is urging consumers and business colleagues to make their voices heard by visiting the Red Tape Challenge website and submitting a comment.

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Meanwhile, Redditch-based shopping channel Gems TV has weighed in to lend its support for the campaign. CEO Steve Bennett said: “You’d think as the owner of a large jewellery company I’d actually want to get rid of it because it costs us money to get all our gold and silver hallmarked. But we want to keep the hallmark – it’s the oldest form of consumer protection in the UK.”

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said more than 6,000 people had commented on eight retail topics on the site.

Retail sector champion, Dr Kevin Hawkins, said: “The response so far has been outstanding, but make no mistake this is an opportunity that is too good to miss. For the first time the Government wants to hear from those at the sharp end of the complex, sometimes overwhelming, amount of regulation. Tell us about those rules that really waste your time and money or better still suggest ways of tackling the issues that will make life better for you and your customers.”