§ 21. Dr. WrightTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effects on business and consumers of the recent metrication of weights and measures. [18711]
Mr. John M. TaylorMy Department carefully assessed the costs to business of complying with the latest metrication changes. Between 1988 and 1993, we consulted business organisations, consumer groups and others, who generally supported further metrication because of the very real savings and other benefits that this would bring. The latest changes are part of a process started by the Labour Government in 1965.
§ Dr. WrightHas not metrication of weights and measures produced a great increase in burdens on business and confusion for consumers? Is it not even more disgraceful that the over-regulation of an EU directive by the previous deregulation Minister—the former President of the Board of Trade, now the Deputy Prime Minister—was responsible for this measure in the first place? Is it not an outrage that we have the measure, an outrage that it was introduced without discussion in Parliament and a further outrage that it was introduced by the deregulator-in-chief?
Mr. TaylorThat is quite a lot of outrage for one afternoon. The fact is that it is extremely important for British trade to sell in metric units throughout the world. The hon. Gentleman would not make much headway if he tried to sell in quarts, for example, in Italy. The British people and British consumers wanted metrication. Consumers seem to be taking it in their stride, and I am not aware of a single criminal prosecution being brought by a trading standards department.