§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has given an undertaking to the petrol supply industry that the Government will not intervene in its plans to move from retail sale by gallon to retail sale by litre.
§ Mr. ParkinsonIn view of the clear statement of the Government's policy on metrication that my right hon. Friend made to the House on 14 November 1979 about the future of the Metrication Board, an undertaking was neither sought nor needed. However, as she explained subsequently in response to a question for oral answer from my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford (Mr. Patten) on 17 December 1979, in the interests of consumers she considered it necessary to impose certain conditions on those garages which chose to exercise the option, available to them since 1897, to sell petrol by the litre. Dual pricing became obligatory at metric garages from 1 January 1981.