§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made with plans to help the motorist to compare prices when the voluntary programme for metricating petrol sales gets under way.
§ Mrs. Sally OppenheimI have today made an order which will oblige garages to indicate the equivalent price per gallon in addition to the litre price as soon as they begin to sell by the litre. Garages692W which voluntarily display prices at the roadside will have the option of giving price information at the pump by means of a chart. The order will become operative on 1 January 1981, which is well before the major change in retail sales is expected to take place under the trade's voluntary metrication programme, and thus make it easier for motorists to become accustomed to the new basis for petrol prices. The order, which varies the provisions of the Petrol Prices (Display) Order 1978, will also require the cash price to be clearly indicated at the pump as well as in any roadside display.