What this sorry tale has shown is that it is not good enough to 'pick and choose' when to use metric. New DTI metrication Web pages have been added, with more promised. Secretary of State for Trade and Industry confirms the forthcoming requirements that all products be sold by reference to metric units by 2000 January. Since 1965, successive Administrations have promoted the use of metric weights and measures in order to assist industry to compete in an increasingly metric global market. The debate since 1965 has been about the pace and timing of the change from imperial to metric units for specific purposes.
Metrication is now under way in the United States.
Other Commonwealth countries have gone metric. The metric system has been taught in our schools since 1974. Metric units are now used by the public sector for most purposes. The retail sector has adopted metric weights and measures gradually, for an ever-increasing range of goods. Today, more than 90 per cent. of consumer goods sold by weight or measure are sold in metric units.