§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection 318W if she will list the imperial units of measurement that under EEC Directive R/3070/75 will not continue to be legal measurements in the United Kingdom after 31st December 1977 or 31st December 1979, respectively.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThe imperial units which will cease to be authorised after 31st December 1977 and 31st December 1979 respectively under the proposed EEC directive amending the directive 71/354/EEC on units of measurement are:
From 31st December 1977
- hand
- chain
- furlong
- nautical mile (UK)
- rood
- cubic yard
- bushel
- dram
- cental
- inch of water
- ton-force
- horsepower
- foot candle
- knot (UK)
From 31st December 1979
- yard
- square yard
- square mile
- cubic inch
- cubic foot
- cran
- grain
- stone
- quarter
- hundredweight
- ton
- pound-force
- British thermal unit
- foot pound-force
- therm
- degree fahrenheit
This draft amending directive has not yet been adopted. It reflects the progress of metrication in the United Kingdom and does not dictate a metrication programme for the United Kingdom.
The placing of the imperial units of measurement into the categories which cease to be authorised after 31st December 1977 and 31st December 1979 was made after extensive consultations in the United Kingdom with more than 1,000 trade associations, professional bodies and Government Departments. Those in the former category are no longer widely used in the United Kingdom.
If this draft directive is not adopted the existing Units of Measurement Directive will continue in force. This states that all 319W imperial units will disappear on 31st December 1979 at the latest, except if there are special reasons in certain cases for extending the time limit.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what plans she has in consequence of EEC Directive R/3070/75 for units of measurement for sales of fruit and vegetables and similar commodities weighed on scales.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThis draft directive, which has not yet been adopted, seeks to amend the original Units of Measurement Directive accepted at the time of the Treaty of Accession. The existing directive states that if the timetable for the phasing out of imperial units has not been settled by August of this year, these units will automatically disappear on 31st December 1979 at the latest, except if there are special reasons in certain cases for extending the time limit. Generally, the proposals which we are seeking to re-negotiate in the amending directive now reflect the pace of metrication in the United Kingdom. The draft directive does not establish a precise deadline date for the phasing out of the pound and the ounce and provides the possibility of some flexibility for the Government to decide their own timetable for the phasing out of these units.