§ Mr. John Pageasked the Minister of Technology (1) if he will publish a list showing the estimated costs of going metric in the following industries and activities, namely, brewing, milk, farming, printing, publishing, teaching and the universities, roads and transport, racing, surveying and map-making, and for all other industries for which information is available;
(2) whether he will publish during the Recess a White Paper or Blue Paper on metrication, particularly giving the costs of going metric in different spheres of activity, in view of the inadequacy of the recently published report of the Metrication Board in some respects.
§ Mr. RidleyThe information requested does not exist. Such costs if they arise depend on firms' commercial decisions. They will also depend upon the respective time-tables for the change to metrication in relation to normal rates of asset replacement. In practice it is not generally possible to isolate costs which might be attributed to metrication from other costs arising from changes taking place at the same time.