On Sat, 10 Feb 2001 14:24:34 -0500, "kilopascal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >ISSUE 2084 > >Wednesday 7 February 2001 > >Imperial units are weighed off >By Philip Johnston, Home Affairs Editor > >MINISTERS have signed the official death warrant for almost all remaining >imperial measurements. > >A little-noticed government regulation that comes into force tomorrow sets a >deadline of December 31, 2009 for an end to the use of pounds and ounces. >Although it is already illegal for traders to sell goods in non-metric >quantities, they are allowed to display imperial measurements alongside as >"supplementary indications". > >>>>>Response >How many shops are complying with this aspect of the law? How many are >putting imperial as primary indications with metric as supplemental? Tesco started the rot; Asda (aka WalMart) followed, as did one or two others. Sainsbury increased the size of their imperial, but metric is still prominent, as it is in Waitrose. I'm currently waging a war against Tesco, raising it further with the EC. >Under an EU deal in 1999, Britain was given a further 10 years to make the >full switch to metric measurements and had until February 9 to incorporate >the EU directive into law. The statutory instrument tabled by the Trade and >Industry Department states: "These regulations amend the Weights and >Measures Act 1985 by inserting a deadline of 31 December 2009 for the end of >the authorised use of supplementary indications in conjunction with metric >units." > >>>>>Response >How will this affect the Sunderland case? Not at all. These regulations should have been in place years ago, to effect the original 1999 cut-off date. This is just a catch-up exercise. >After 2009 the only imperial measurements that will remain will be the mile, >the acre, the pint for draught beer and cider and doorstep milk, fluid >ounces and troy ounces for precious metals. > >>>>>Response >Now, what can "we" do to have this changed? What is being done? In the >case of the mile and pint, it isn't so much that we need to fight for their >removal as legal, at least not now, but to fight to have their metric >equivalents made legal. To have the laws changed to permit metric on roads, >and litres in pubs and doorsteps. It seems even without legislation, there >are those "testing" the laws by moving towards metric usage in these areas. >The BWMA goons are constantly nagging public officials about the ever >increasing encroachment of metric signage. To allow metric signage would >most likely cause their numbers to increase without official requirements to >change. Even if pubs were permitted to sell metric sizes, enough might >convert to draw everyone onto the bandwagon. The UKMA is on the case ;-) I'm glad to see that many members favour road conversion (as did the DTI official I spoke to yesterday). But don't expect much to change quickly. Chris -- UK Metrication Association: http://www.metric.org.uk/
