>From Britain in Europe Straight Bananas? 150 anti-European myths exploded Myth 8. Decimalisation was forced upon us by Europe This is untrue. The sovereign British parliament agreed to adopt decimal currency under the Decimal Currency Act 1969, before the Heath gevernment that took Britain into Europe was even in office. Myth 10. Metric measures were imposed on Britain by Brussels. This is untrue. The decision to introduce metrication in Britain was tzaken by Parliament many years before we joined Europe under the Weights and Measures Act 1963, metric measures have been lawful in Britain since 1897. The announcement in July 1968 by Tony Benn of the creation of a Metrication Board to coordinate the changeover from imperial to metric was the result of an initiative in 1965 by his fellow anti-European Cabinet Minister Douglas Jay from the Federation of British Industry. Myth 11. Brussels bureaucrats are now banning imperial measures in shops. This is untrue. The legislation that has just come into force, agreed by Francis Maude on behalf of the British governement in 1989, does not ban the use of imperial weights and measures. It merely means that traders in goods sold loose by weight (eg. meat and fish, fruit and vegetables) must indicate their prices per kilogram and use metric weights as well. Consumers can still place their orders in pounds and ounces. http://www.britainineurope.org/public_page.htm Between public and place is a _ ; invisible here.
