Ian:
You might like to point him at the ITSA release at
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/newsitem.cgi?file=pres0056.txt&area=pres
No Reprieve for Old Measures
Date: 11th August 1999
Media claims that Europe has backed down on imposing metric measures
are unfounded, say Trading Standards Officers.
Stories in the tabloid press that 'pounds and ounces have been saved
for shoppers who can't cope with metric measures' are based on a
misunderstanding, insists Chris Howell - the Institute of Trading
Standards' expert on legal metrology.
"The legal position clearly remains the same. After 1st January 2000,
all sales have to be in metric units. The only exceptions are the use
of the pint for draught beer, cider and milk in returnable bottles and
the ounce troy for precious metals."
"The confusion arises from a recent EU proposal that non-metric units
may be used alongside metric units until 31st December 2009. So
retailers can display the nearest equivalent in pounds, ounces, pints
or fluid ounces alongside the metric quantity; and shoppers won't be
breaking the law by asking for five pounds of potatoes or six ounces
of ham ! But the sale itself must be made in metric units."
Howell says it's not just a matter of 'legal nitpicking'. Trading
Standards Officers are worried that many traders will prefer to
believe the press stories rather than the advice they are being given
to convert their scales to metric by 1st January. With many thousands
of scales still to be converted in less than five months, there is a
real possibility that manufacturers will be unable to complete the
task in time. This would leave many traders technically in breach of
the law after the New Year.
"We know that the changeover will be unpopular with many traders and
their customers, but the rights or wrongs of signing up for
metrication some 25 years ago are now history", says Howell.
"Whatever our personal views, the change will happen. If I was a
trader who had paid to have my scale converted and then found in
January that I was losing business to a competitor who was still
selling in pounds and ounces, then I'd expect Trading Standards to
enforce the law !"
--
Metrication information: http://www.metric.org.uk/
UK legislation, EC Directives, Trading Standards links and more
