Mandatory use of prescribed units for retail sales took effect in 1995 for packaged goods and in 2000 for goods sold loose by weight.
By 1980, most pre-packaged goods were sold using the prescribed units. The treaty of accession to the European Economic Community (EEC), which the United Kingdom joined in 1973, obliged the United Kingdom to incorporate into domestic law all EEC directives, including the use of a prescribed SI-based set of units for many purposes within five years. By the time the Metrication Board was wound up, all the economic sectors that fell within its remit except road signage and parts of the retail trade sector had metricated.
In 1980, government policy shifted again to prefer voluntary metrication, and the Metrication Board was abolished. In 1978, after some carpet retailers reverted to pricing by the square yard rather than the square metre, government policy shifted, and they started issuing orders making metrication mandatory in certain sectors. In 1969, the government created the Metrication Board as a quango to promote and coordinate metrication. This policy, initiated in response to requests from industry, was to support voluntary metrication, with costs picked up where they fell. A formal government policy to support metrication was agreed by 1965. Īdopting the metric system was discussed in Parliament as early as 1818 and some industries and government agencies had metricated, or were in the process of metricating by the mid-1960s. Imperial units that remain in common usage in the UK are also taught. In schools, metric units are taught and used as the norm. Imperial units are also often used to describe body measurements and vehicle fuel economy. Most of government, industry and commerce use metric units, but imperial units are officially used to specify journey distances, vehicle speeds and the sizes of returnable milk containers, beer and cider glasses, and fresh milk is often still sold in multiples of pints, with the metric equivalent also marked. Metrication, the process of introducing the metric system of measurement in place of imperial units, has made steady progress in the United Kingdom since the mid-20th century but today remains equivocal and varies by context. Signs like these do not comply with legislation, as metric prices must not be less prominent. Loose tomatoes for sale at a UK greengrocer in 2013, dual-priced in imperial ( £0.99/ lb) and metric ( £2.18/ kg) units.
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