Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act 1926

1926 CHAPTER 21 16 and 17 Geo 5

An Act to amend the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Acts 1887 and 1891.

[15th July 1926]

1 Disclosure of weight of fat cattle on sale by auction. E+W+S

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act an auctioneer shall not offer for sale in any market, fair, or mart, in or near which a weighing machine is provided for the purpose of complying with the provisions of the principal Acts, any cattle which are fit for immediate slaughter unless they have been weighed on the weighing machine and their weight as so ascertained is disclosed to intending purchasers at the time of the offer for sale, either by announcement made by the auctioneer or in some other manner calculated to bring it to their notice.

(2) Any auctioneer who offers for sale any cattle in contravention of this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F1 level 1 on the standard scale]for each head of cattle so offered for sale.

(3) In this section the expression “cattle” means bulls, cows, oxen and heifers.

(4) The Minister may by order declare that the foregoing provisions of this Act shall not apply as respects any market, fair or mart.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted (E.W.S.) by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 1 extended (E.W. except City of London and Temples) by Food and Drugs Act 1955 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2 c. 16), s. 56(2)

C2 Power to extend S. 1(4) conferred by Agriculture Act 1967 (c. 22), s. 4(1)(a)

C3 S. 1 modified (E.W.) by Food Act 1984 (c. 30, SIF 53:1), s. 57(2)

2 Extension of powers of Minister to grant exemption from provisions of principal Acts. E+W+S

. . . F2 [F3 the power of the Minister under [F4 section 9 of the M1 Act of 1887] to exempt any market or fair from the requirements of that Act as to the provision and maintenance of facilities for weighing cattle, and] the power of the Minister under section four of the M2 Act of 1891 to exempt an auctioneer from the requirements of that section in respect of the sale of cattle at a mart, may be exercised [F3 respectively] with respect to any market or fair and with respect to any auctioneer where the circumstances are in the opinion of the Minister such as to render the enforcement of those requirements inexpedient.

Textual Amendments

F2 Words repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1975 (c. 10), Sch. Pt. II

F3 Words repealed (E.W.) as respects (a) any local authority outside London which was a market authority for purposes of Food and Drugs Act 1938 (c. 56) by ibid., Sch. 4 Pt. I and (b) any London borough council which was a market authority for purposes of Food and Drugs Act 1955 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2 c. 16), Pt. III by London Government Act 1963 (c. 33), Sch. 18 Pt. II

F4 Words substituted by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1975 (c. 10), s. 1(2)

Marginal Citations

M1 1887 c. 27.

M2 1891 c. 70.

3 Tolls for weighing cattle. E+W+S

The Act of 1887 shall have effect as if for the Schedule to that Act (which prescribes tolls which may be demanded in respect of the weighing of cattle) there were substituted the Schedule to this Act.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C4 The text of S. 3 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

4 Interpretation, short title, commencement, citation and extent. E+W+S

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them respectively, that is to say:—

• “The Minister” means, as respects England and Wales, [F5 the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food], and as respects Scotland, [F6 the Secretary of State].

• “The Act of 1887” means the M3 Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act 1887.

• “The Act of 1891” means the M4 Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act 1891.

• “The Principal Acts” means the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Acts 1887 and 1891.

(2) This Act may be cited as the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act 1926, and shall come into operation on the first day of January, nineteen hundred and twenty-seven; and this Act and the principal Acts may be cited together as the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Acts 1887 to 1926.

(3) This Act shall not apply to Northern Ireland.

Textual Amendments

F5 Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1955/554 (1955 I, p. 1200), art. 3(1)(3)

F6 Words substituted by virtue of Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Act 1928 (c. 34), s. 1(1)(4) and Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Act 1939 (c. 20), s. 1(1)(6)(b)

Marginal Citations

M3 1887 c. 27.

M4 1891 c. 70.

SCHEDULE E+W+S

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5 The text of the Schedule is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

For every head of cattle other than sheep or swine.

Not exceeding sixpence.

For every five or less number of sheep or swine.

Threepence.