The Government ran the “Choice on units of measurement: markings and sales” consultation from 3 June 2022 to 26 August 2022. The survey that accompanied the consultation received over 100 000 responses. According to Government guidelines (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consultation-principles-guidance), a response should have been published by 18 November, 12 weeks after the closing date. This article explains what was wrong with the survey questions and how the survey could have been improved.
Continue reading “How imperial units survey design flaws could have been fixed”Author: Ronnie Cohen
First new SI prefixes for over 30 years
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) has formally approved the use of four new SI prefixes to meet the growing needs of science, computing and the increasing amount of online data and to prevent the adoption of unofficial prefix names. The approval of the new prefixes was one of the resolutions of the 27th General Conference on Weights and Measures, which took place on 15-18 November 2022.
Continue reading “First new SI prefixes for over 30 years”No published impact assessments for Retained EU Law Bill
A recent FOI response proves that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has not published any impact assessments on scrapping and reforming EU laws under the proposed Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. This Bill will affect approximately 3800 EU laws on the statute book, including the extra 1400 newly identified EU laws by the Government according to recent news reports. This Bill contains a sunset clause that ensures EU laws expire automatically on 31 December 2023 unless a Minister decides to save them.
Continue reading “No published impact assessments for Retained EU Law Bill”Make another U-turn – scrap imperial measures proposals
The Government has recently made several U-turns on economic policy. They are not averse to making U-turns when it becomes politically convenient. The government is committed to dropping the requirement to show metric units alongside imperial units in some or all areas. UKMA is demanding that the Government makes a U-turn on this policy and scraps these imperial measures proposals. There is a way out where they can save face and avoid embarrassment and humiliation.
Continue reading “Make another U-turn – scrap imperial measures proposals”Barbados introduces new metrication bill
A new Barbados Metrology Bill 2022 was recently introduced in the House of Assembly. Minister of Energy and Business Development Kerrie Symmonds has said that the failure of align Barbados’ metrology with international standards (i.e., failure to fully adopt the metric system) has incurred economic costs. Nation News reports that “Consumers could soon be getting protection from the state in regards to having measurement systems across the board that align with international standards.”.
Continue reading “Barbados introduces new metrication bill”Isle of Man spirits measures go metric
New metric spirits measures came into force in the Isle of Man on 30 September 2022. They replaced old imperial spirits measures of fluid ounces and gills. These new measures apply to spirits sold in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Spirits in the Isle of Man have gone metric because it is getting harder for licensees to obtain imperial measuring equipment for spirits.
Continue reading “Isle of Man spirits measures go metric”First metrication reversal since Napoleon?
If the current Government implement their proposals to remove the requirement to use metric units for trade, it will be the first reversal of metrication in the UK and probably the first reversal in Europe since the days of Napoleon over 200 years ago.
Continue reading “First metrication reversal since Napoleon?”Imperial Red Meat policy won’t save the Conservatives
The Government’s imperial measurement proposals seem to be part of their Operation Red Meat proposals to get Conservative MPs and supporters back on side. They were initially used to try to save former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and then used by the final two candidates in the Conservative leadership contest, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, to gain support from Conservative Party members to win the Conservative leadership contest and become the next Prime Minister.
Continue reading “Imperial Red Meat policy won’t save the Conservatives”Which? exposes poor grasp of unit pricing
The Which? consumer group published its most recent investigation about unit pricing on 23 August 2022, asking “Can you spot the cheapest supermarket prices?”. If you cannot do this, you could be missing out on huge savings. The ability to use unit pricing to get the best deals is a critical skill in the cost-of-living crisis.
Continue reading “Which? exposes poor grasp of unit pricing”No DfT research on familiarity of road sign units
A Freedom of Information response from the Department for Transport reveals that it has done no research on the general public’s familiarity of road sign units. The DfT once used the lack of metric education as an argument against the metrication of road signs but has never seen the lack of familiarity with imperial units as a problem with its current use of imperial road signs.
Continue reading “No DfT research on familiarity of road sign units”
Metric Views 