§ 28. Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken to extend the derogation for loose from bulk goods in imperial measures. [95852]
§ Dr. HowellsOn 26 July 1999,Official Report, columns 678-79, I announced the result of our reappraisal of the use of metric units of measurement in the UK and placed a copy of the report in the Library of the House. As that report made clear, we have concluded that there would be no benefit in seeking a postponement of the date (31 December 1999), agreed by the previous administration, after which loose from bulk goods should 278W be priced and weighed in grams and kilograms. It will still be possible for retailers to indicate imperial units alongside metric and for consumers to express in imperial units the quantity they wish to buy.