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Imperial measures safe to the pint of no return Wednesday, 17th December 2008 The pint and mile are finally safe after the European Parliament today agreed to exclude them from EU legislation on units of measurement, following a long campaign led by Conservative MEPs. Roger Helmer, the Conservative MEP for the East Midlands, also confirmed that traders will be able to use dual marking for other items, which enables imperial and metric measurements to be displayed simultaneously. In 1999, Mr Helmer helped to steer the units of measurement directive through the European Parliament, which put in place a 'derogation' for the UK from 1999 to 2009. In May 2007 the European Commission told Mr Helmer that it would propose extending dual marking in imperial and metric measures indefinitely. In October this year, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills announced it will bring forward new guidelines to scale back trading standards' previous heavy-handed action against market traders. Mr Helmer said: "Consumers should be able to buy in the measurement of their choice. "Under this law, shoppers will be able to continue using the measurement they prefer. The British government has rightly announced it will take a more balanced approach towards traders who want to sell by the bowl or by the pound, but ministers cannot claim to have led the campaign for a consumer's right to choose imperial measures. "Conservatives were able to secure a derogation for Imperial measures in the parliament in 1999. It was ultimately the European Commission that listened to Conservative pressure to keep pounds and ounces indefinitely, whilst the British government was still trying to force metrication down our throats. "The government may be eager to scrap the pound as our currency, but at least we can say we have saved it indefinitely - as a measurement at any rate." |