HL Deb 27 November 1979 vol 403 cc389-90WA
Lord ORR-EWING

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consulted the CBI and other organisations concerned with British exports before deciding to abolish the Metrication Board and what arrangements are being made to debate this decision in Parliament.

Lord TREFGARNE

The views of the CBI on metrication and on the role of the Metrication Board are well known. The Minister of State for Consumer Affairs made clear in another place on 14th November that the need for the Metrication Board's activities will have practically disappeared by the time existing board appointments run out. Since it was set up as an administrative adjunct of the Department of Trade, which provides its staff, it is right that it should be discontinued when its work related to compulsory metrication at the retail level has been completed. Its disappearance should not affect exporters. There are no plans for a debate.