HC Deb 15 April 1983 vol 40 c464W
Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will, in future press releases and published departmental documents, give lengths of road in miles rather than in kilometres.

Mrs. Chalker

Highway engineers have been using metric units for well over a decade and therefore find it more useful to receive statistical information in kilometres rather than miles. Metric units are also needed for international comparisons. Given the extra expense involved in quoting both miles and kilometres, statistical information will continue to be issued in metric units only. However, press releases of general public interest—for example, concerning the opening of new roads—usually quote lengths in miles.

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