S.I. No. 214/1956:

BREAD ORDER, 1956.

BREAD ORDER, 1956.

I, WILLIAM NORTON, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by Article 31 of the Emergency Powers Order, 1939 (S. R. & O. No. 224 of 1939), as amended by the Emergency Powers (No. 173) Order, 1942 (S. R. & O. No. 166 of 1942), (which orders are continued in force by the Supplies and Services (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1946 (No. 22 of 1946)) hereby order as follows :

1.--(1) This Order may be cited as the Bread Order, 1956.

(2) This Order shall come into operation on the 30th day of July, 1956.

2.--(1) Bread (other than bread referred to in paragraphs (b), (c), (e) and (f) of Article 4 of the Bread (Prices) Order, 1955 (S.I., No. 164 of 1955)) shall not be baked for sale unless it is baked--

(i) in units of less than eight ounces in weight, or,

(ii) in units of one pound or multiples of one pound in weight.

(2) For the purposes of this Article the weight of the bread shall be--

(a) if the bread leaves the bakery on the day on which it is baked, its weight on leaving the bakery, and

(b) if the bread does not leave the bakery on the day on which it is baked, its weight at the close of business at the bakery on the day on which it is baked.

(3) Where a person is charged with an offence consisting of a contravention of this Article in respect of the weight of any bread--

(a) any inconsiderable variation in the weight of a single loaf shall be disregarded, and regard shall be had to the average weight of a reasonable number of loaves of the same kind baked on the same occasion, and generally to all the circumstances of the case and

(b) it shall be a good defence if the person so charged shows that such deficiency was due to a bona fide mistake or accident, or to other causes beyond his control, and that it occurred in spite of all reasonable precautions being taken and all due diligence being exercised by him to prevent its occurrence, or that it was due to the action of some person over whom he had no control.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 27th day of July, 1956.

WILLIAM NORTON,

Minister for Industry and Commerce.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The effect of this Order is to require that bread for sale shall be baked only in units of less than half a pound in weight or in units of one pound or multiples of one pound. For the purposes of this requirement the weights shall be construed as referring to the weight of bread on leaving the bakery on the day on which it is baked or, if it does not leave the bakery on that day, at the close of business at the bakery on the day on which it is baked.

The Order also provides certain safeguards in the case of inconsiderable variations in the weight of a single loaf or in the case of bona fide mistake or accident.