Government announces plans to abolish the British Hallmarking Council
Business Secretary Peter Kyle has announced today that the British Hallmarking Council (BHC) will be abolished and its functions consolidated alongside wider product regulation functions, as part of the government’s ‘blitz on business bureaucracy’.
Metal punches used for applying components of a hallmark at the London Assay Office. © Paul Read
The announcement, made during Kyle’s speech to delegates attending the Regional Investment Summit in Birmingham, follows a review as part of the Government’s Regulation Action Plan (March 2025), delivered through the Cabinet Office’s cross-government review of Arm’s-Length Bodies (ALBs) launched in April.
Kyle said: “Where we identify regulators that are doubling up, stepping on each other’s toes, or out of touch with the realities of the modern economy, we will streamline them. Where their role is redundant, we will end them. Not ‘one-in, one-out’ but ‘no role, no regulator’. It’s as simple as that. As proof of my commitment, today I am announcing the abolition of the British Hallmarking Council, with its functions transferring into my department.”
It is understood there is no immediate impact to the Council’s operations.
Commenting on the announcement Will Evans, Director of the London Assay Office, said:
“Anything sold in the UK made of gold, silver, platinum, or palladium must be tested and hallmarked by law. We recognise and value the important work the British Hallmarking Council (BHC) has undertaken over more than fifty years to oversee the UK’s hallmarking system, and support the four UK Assay Offices, the government, the retail and manufacturing trade and the British consumer.
As the government explores options to legislate, the key priority must be to protect and preserve hallmarking – a world-leading system of consumer protection that has safeguarded trust in the trade for nearly 700 years.
The integrity of the hallmarking regime is paramount. It is more important than ever that consumers can trust that what they purchase has been independently verified, especially as gold and silver prices reach record highs. Hallmarking is the only mechanism we have in the UK to hold traders to account and protect consumers.
The effectiveness of hallmarking has always rested on robust standards, independent verification, and consistent enforcement across all four UK Assay Offices. We trust these principles will remain central to any new arrangements.
We look forward to working closely with the Department for Business and Trade on a smooth transition, and to providing expert advice that will inform hallmarking policy and delivery, and the growth of the industry – ensuring the UK hallmarking system continues to serve as a benchmark for integrity, transparency, and consumer protection worldwide.
This includes:
Exploring options to reinvigorate overseas trading with our customers in EU markets, which has taken a blow in the wake of Brexit; and
Addressing ongoing issues relating to hallmarking enforcement, especially of online marketplaces.”