HC Deb 05 July 1976 vol 914 cc938-9
3. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what further action she is taking to test public opinion on metrication.

The Minister of State, Department of Prices and Consumer Protection (Mr. John Fraser)

The Metrication Board, on behalf of the Government, has commissioned regular surveys to ascertain people's attitude to metrication since 1972. My Department has also regularly sought the views of consumer representatives, and the great preponderance of opinion has been in favour of metrication with adequate consumer safeguards.

Mr. Goodhart

Is it not astonishing that over the years there has been so little effort to consult the public on an issue that affects everyone? As there is no prospect of weights and measures legislation making much progress during the rest of this Session, will the Minister agree to have wider consultations on the details of the timing of the enforced change to metric measures?

Mr. Fraser

I have consulted as far as I can and I am willing to continue to do so. I hope that the House will assist the Weights and Measures, &c. Bill which is now in the other place. The Bill on its own makes no changes but it provides powers to phase out imperial quantities after due consultation.

Mr. Donald Stewart

Is it not the case that any informal or straw poll would show that the majority of the public are opposed to metrication? Does not the hon. Gentleman agree that they are opposed to it for the very good reason of their experience with decimalisation, which proved to be a massive attack by the commercial world on the consumer to his detriment? Will the Minister consider postponing the legislation until the next decade?

Mr. Fraser

Opinion varies. About 49 per cent. of the people agree that calculations will be easier under metrication, 71 per cent. believe that they will be given all the information in good time, and 85 per cent. accept that it is bound to happen and, therefore, we might as well learn to use it. The Scottish Consumer Council is wholly in favour of the Bill which is in the other place, with amendments. I see the phasing into metrication as being used with priority to protect consumers and to eliminate confusion.

Mr. Ioan Evans

Does my hon. Friend realise that, while metrication might be beneficial in the long run, there are fears among consumers that the same might happen as happened with decimalisation? That was a good thing in principle but it was abused at the expense of the consumer. Will the Government take measures to ensure that when metrication is introduced it will not be used by commercial interests to exploit the consumer?

Mr. Fraser

It is not appropriate to reopen the debates about decimalisation. We shall take all the powers that are necessary to protect the consumer. Metrication can have advantageous effects. Cornflakes are an example with which metrication has led to a reduction in unit price.

Sir John Hall

Is it possible to estimate the cost of conversion to metrication? Is there any truth in the estimate that it will cost between £130 million and £150 million?

Mr. Fraser

It is not possible to give an accurate measure of cost. One has to balance it against the cost of not going metric—for example, the cost of having to re-educate children. Another example is the cost of converting petrol pumps to the imperial scale because they are manufactured to the metric scale.