§ Lord Shore of Stepneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 30 July (WA 234), whether, and if so when, the Council of Ministers has adopted the Commission's proposed amendment to Directive 80/181 on units of measures, making it compulsory for British retailers to display weights and measures of goods for sale in metric units; what steps have been taken to alert retailers, including street traders, to the change in the law which will come into effect on 31 December 1999; and what advice has been given to retailers as to how, in practice, they are to comply with the instruction that imperial measures should henceforth be displayed only as "supplementary indications". [HL21]
§ The Minister for Science, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)Directive 80/181/EEC on units of measurement was amended in 1989 by Directive 89/617/EEC so as to specify12WA 31 December 1999 as the date after which metric units must be used in all member states for the sale of loose goods by weight.
To assist small retailers and their customers with the change to metric units, DTI has set up a helpline and issued information packages. Local authorities have also raised awareness among retailers. The UK Weighing Federation estimates that at least 99 per cent of traders will have converted to metric units by 31 December. A final round of advertising is being undertaken in the trade press.