§ Dr. TwinnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice his Department has given to local planning authorities and applicants for planning permission on the impact since 1 January of the units of measurement directive. [24202]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe interpretation of the directive is ultimately for the courts. However, our advice in response to inquiries is that any risk of successful legal challenge is avoided if a metric conversion is substituted for any imperial measurements in a planning application. The imperial measurements may also be retained as a supplementary indication.