Editing Encyclopedia:Measurements Debate (section)

==The case of the UK==
::: The UK decimalized its currency in the early 1970s, and switching to metric was a condition of entry to the EU around the same time. It's been a slow process. I remember when TV weather forecasts were in F and C, but they're now entirely in Celsius. Weights and measures on pre-packaged goods (eg packets, tins of food) went metric early on, but food measured at point of sale (markets, supermarket deli counters) have been dual for a long time -- they switched to metric only around 2000 (2001?), it's now indeed illegal to sell in pounds and ounces. Some imbecillic traders are taking the issue to the European court of Human Rights, but they're not the only chumps to make a mockery of the recent Human Rights legislation in the UK for their own ends and publicity. ... where was I? [[metrication]] has more info: "UK policy is to eliminate almost all nonmetric units by 2009, except for road signs." -- [[User:Tarquin|Tarquin]]

The UK decimalised on 15th February 1971. We joined the Common Market (later known as the EU) in 1973. The metrication process began in 1965, and as you say, it's been a slow process. It's true that metriccation was condition of Common Market entry but since it was already goernment policy this was a non-binding constraint. Loose food was metricated on 1st January, 2000. It's not exactly illegal to sell in pounds and ounces. You must display the food price in metric, but you may also display in "supplementary units" provided that they are no larger or more prominent than the metric display. You may ask for the product in any units, but the vendor must weigh or measure it in metric. The receipt must be in metric. [[User:BlaiseFEgan|Blaise]] 15:08, 4 February 2006 (UTC)