HC Deb 13 January 1988 vol 125 c309W
37. Mr. Fraser

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will introduce legislation to metricate stokes and poises; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Butcher

It is already the case, since 1 January 1986, that these two units may be used only as supplementary indications. In accordance with Council directive 80/181/EEC on units of measurement, dynamic and kinematic viscosities are now stated in terms of pascal seconds and metres squared per second respectively which are metric units.

OECD Exports
US$ Million Per cent. of OECD Percentage change in share
1979 1986 1979 1986
Australia 18.6 22.5 1.8 1.5 -13
Austria 15.4 22.4 1.5 1.5 5
Belgium 56.2 68.6 5.3 4.7 -12
Canada 55.9 86.7 5.3 5.9 12
Denmark 14.6 21.2 1.4 1.4 5
Finland 11.1 16.3 1.1 1.1 6
France 98.0 119.3 9.2 8.1 -12
FR Germany 171.5 242.4 16.2 16.5 2
Greece 3.9 5.6 0.4 0.4 5
Iceland 0.8 1.1 0.1 0.1 0
Ireland 7.2 12.6 0.7 0.9 27
Italy 72.1 97.5 6.8 6.6 -3
Japan 102.8 210.8 9.7 14.3 48
Norway 13.5 18.2 1.3 1.2 -2
Netherlands 63.6 80.6 6.0 5.5 -9
New Zealand 4.6 5.7 0.4 0.4 -10
Portugal 3.5 7.2 0.3 0.5 49
Spain 18.2 27.1 1.7 1.8 7
Sweden 27.5 37.3 2.6 2.5 -2
Switzerland 26.5 37.2 2.5 2.5 1
Turkey 2.5 7.4 0.2 0.5 117
USA 181.8 217.3 17.1 14.8 -14
United Kingdom 90.8 107.0 8.6 7.3 -15
OECD total 1,060.6 1,472.3

Source: OECD Series 'A' (via I P Sharp) (New Zealand—OECD Series 'C')