The BBC responded to UKMA Chair Peter Burke’s complaint about their cover-up of the outcome to the Government’s imperial units consultation. The response to the Government’s survey was almost unanimously pro-metric. Almost 99% expressed either support for the status quo (mandatory metric with an optional imperial supplementary indication) or to use fully metric pricing (with no imperial) despite the fact that respondents who wanted to express these options were forced to use the free text boxes or reply by email. The BBC reply failed to address the key issues in the UKMA Chair’s complaint.
Continue reading “BBC response to UKMA Chair’s complaint about cover-up of outcome to Government’s imperial units consultation”Tag: report
BBC covers up overwhelming public rejection of government plans to revive imperial units
Just after midnight on 27 December 2023, the government published the response to its imperial units consultation. On the same day, the BBC initially reported it under the headline “Metric measurement rules to stay after Brexit review”. Later that day, the BBC changed its headline to “Pint-sized bottles of wine to be sold after Brexit review” and buried the main story at the bottom of the rewritten article. The new pint size for wine bottles was not the main news item but a side issue. The BBC news report was changed to cover up the overwhelming public rejection of government plans to revive imperial units. Did the BBC bow to political pressure to cover up bad news for the government?
Continue reading “BBC covers up overwhelming public rejection of government plans to revive imperial units”Welsh road signs in 2022 cost small fraction of DfT estimates in cash terms despite 50% inflation since 2006 DfT metric conversion report
The total estimated cost for implementing the speed limit change from 30 mph to 20 mph, including the cost for changing signs and markings on roads, has been published in the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) undertaken by the Welsh Government on 20 mph speed limits. The published document gives a breakdown of road sign costs. These costs are several times lower than the Department for Transport (DfT) cost estimates of conversion of road traffic signs to metric units in cash terms despite 50% inflation during the 16-year period between the two reports.
Continue reading “Welsh road signs in 2022 cost small fraction of DfT estimates in cash terms despite 50% inflation since 2006 DfT metric conversion report”CMA investigates unit pricing practices in the groceries sector
Today, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its review of unit pricing in the groceries sector. The CMA has identified several problems with current unit pricing practices, which may affect shoppers’ abilities to make comparisons. This is a big cause for concern when prices are rising. The review mainly covers the unit pricing practices of eleven nationwide supermarkets. It also covers the unit pricing practices of seven nationwide variety store retailers that sell general merchandise alongside a relatively small selection of groceries.
Continue reading “CMA investigates unit pricing practices in the groceries sector”The central role of the metric system in the UK National Measurement System
In December 2022, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published a report called “UK Measurement Strategy for the National Measurement System”. It describes the importance of measurement in our everyday lives but says little about the central role of the metric system in the UK National Measurement System (NMS). In fact, it barely mentions it.
Continue reading “The central role of the metric system in the UK National Measurement System”DfE fails to see link between poor numeracy and measurement muddle
The late Alan Young, a metric campaigner and a highly experienced maths teacher, mentioned the problems of the measurement muddle that British pupils face on a daily basis. On 1 September 2022, I wrote to my local MP to raise these issues with Department for Education (DfE). In their reply, they failed to see the connection between poor numeracy and the measurement muddle and suggested that the key stage 2 national curriculum addresses this problem.
Continue reading “DfE fails to see link between poor numeracy and measurement muddle”Taking us back to the 1970’s
There are a number of similar phenomena between our post-COVID times and the 1970’s. One of them is the Government proposing to allow traders to sell using imperial-only again, forcing customers to once again have to resort to conversion calculations to compare prices.
Continue reading “Taking us back to the 1970’s”Retrograde step proposed for retail trade
On 16 June 2021, the government published a set of proposals from the independent “Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform” (TIGRR). These proposals aim to reduce regulation of British businesses, thereby providing them with an advantage over foreign competitors.
Continue reading “Retrograde step proposed for retail trade”No surprises in YouGov survey
In 2013, the UK Metric Association (UKMA) commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey into the UK’s measurement muddle. The results were reported on Metric Views at that time. We now look at a follow-up survey carried out two years later.
DfT has done no cost-benefit analysis on metrication of road signs
Ronnie Cohen draws some conclusions from a recent Freedom of Information (FoI) request that he made to the UK Department for Transport (DfT).
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Metric Views 