1994 No. 2866
Whereas the Secretary of State pursuant to section 86(2) of the Weights and Measures Act 1985having had particular regard to the need to consult organisations representative of the interests of consumers, has consulted such organisations as appear to him to be representative of interests substantially affected by this Order and considered the representations made to him by such organisations with respect to the subject matter of this Order:
And whereas a draft of this Order has been laid before, and approved by resolution of, each House of Parliament pursuant to section 86(5) of that Act:
Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 8(6), 22(1) and (2) of that Act and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:—
S-1
Citation and CommencementCitation and Commencement
1. This Order may be cited as the Weights and Measures Act 1985 (Metrication) (Amendment) Order 1994 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.
Interpretation
2. In this Order “the Act” means the Weights and Measures Act 1985.
S-3
Amendment of the Act in 1995Amendment of the Act in 1995
3.—(1) On 1st October 1995 the Act shall be amended as follows.
(2) In section 8 (units of measurement, weights and measures lawful for use for trade) in subsection (2) there shall be inserted after paragraph (c)
“
or
(d)
(d) the pint except for—
(i) the purposes of the sale of draught beer or cider, or
(ii) the purposes of the sale of milk in returnable containers, or
(iii) the purposes of the sale of beer, cider, water, lemonade or fruit juice in returnable containers, or
(e)
(e) the fluid ounce except for the purposes of the sale of beer, cider, water, lemonade or fruit juice in returnable containers, or
(f) the pound or the ounce (avoirdupois) except for the purposes of the sale of goods loose from bulk.
(3) In Schedule 3 (measures and weights lawful for use for trade)—
(a)
(a) in each of Parts I and II paragraph 1 shall be omitted; and
(b)
(b) in Part IV in paragraph 1 all the entries except “1 pint”, “½ pint” and “⅓ pint” shall be omitted and there shall be inserted before “1 pint”—
“
16 pints
8 pints
4 pints
2 pints
(4) In Schedule 4 (transactions in sand and other ballast)—
(a)
(a) in paragraph 3(a) for “2,240 pounds” there shall be substituted “1 tonne”; and
(b)
(b) in paragraph 11(2) for “4,480 pounds” there shall be substituted “2 tonnes”.
(5) In Schedule 5 (transactions in solid fuel)—
(a)
(a) in paragraph 2(2)(a) for “14 pounds” there shall be substituted “7\5 kilograms”;
(b)
(b) in paragraph 3—
(i) for sub-paragraph (1) there shall be substituted—
“
1 Solid fuel shall be made up in a container for sale, or for delivery after sale, only if it is made up in one of the following quantities by net weight, namely—
(c) any multiple of 50 kilograms.
”; and
(ii) sub-paragraph (3) shall be omitted;
(c)
(c) in paragraph 4(1) “in a metric quantity” shall be omitted;
(d)
(d) paragraph 5 shall be omitted;
(e)
(e) in paragraph 6—
(i) “made up in metric quantities” in the heading to the paragraph, and
(ii) in sub-paragraph (1) “in metric quantities” and “in any metric quantity”,
shall be omitted; and
(f) in paragraphs 17(1) and 18(2) for “224 pounds” there shall be substituted “110 kilograms”.
(6) In Schedule 6 (transactions in miscellaneous goods other than foods)—
(a)
(a) in paragraph 2(c) for “one quart” there shall be substituted “one litre”;
(b)
(b) in paragraph 3 for “half a pound” and “half a pint” there shall be substituted “250 grams” and “250 millilitres” respectively;
(c)
(c) in paragraph 9—
(i) in sub-paragraphs (1)(b) and (2)(b) for “fifty-six pounds” there shall be substituted “25 kilograms”; and
(ii) in sub-paragraph (3) for “twenty-four ounces per 112 pounds” there shall be substituted “650 grams per 50 kilograms”;
(d)
(d) in paragraph 13 for “fourteen pounds” and “1,120 pounds” there shall be substituted “7\5 kilograms” and “500 kilograms” respectively;
(e)
(e) in paragraph 18 for “five fluid ounces” and “one ounce” there shall be substituted “125 millilitres” and “25 grams” respectively;
(f) in paragraph 21 for “one yard” there shall be substituted “one metre”;
(g) for paragraph 24 there shall be substituted—
“
24. The following shall be exempted from the requirements of this Part of this Schedule—
(a) distemper or paste paint in a quantity of less than 250 grams,
(b) bird seed in a quantity of less than 125 grams, and
(c) any other goods in a quantity of less than 25 grams.
”;
(h) in paragraph 28 for “one ounce” there shall be substituted “25 grams”;
(i) in paragraph 31 for “five fluid ounces” there shall be substituted “150 millilitres”;
(j) for paragraph 34 there shall be substituted—
“
34. The following shall be exempted from the requirements of paragraph 33 above—
(a) liquid detergents in a quantity of less than 125 millilitres, and
(b) goods of any other description in a quantity of less than 150 millilitres.
”; and
(k) in paragraph 37 for “half a pound”, “half a pint”, “one ounce” and “one fluid ounce” there shall be substituted “250 grams”, “250 millilitres”, “30 grams” and “30 millilitres” respectively.
(7) In Schedule 7 (transactions in composite goods and collections of articles) in paragraph 5 for “one ounce” and “one fluid ounce” there shall be substituted “25 grams” and “25 millilitres” respectively.
S-4
Amendment of the Act in 2000Amendment of the Act in 2000
4.—(1) On 1st January 2000 the Act shall be amended as follows.
(2) In section 8(2) the word “or” at the end of paragraph (d)(ii) and paragraphs (d)(iii), (e) and (f) shall be omitted.
(3) In Part V of Schedule 3 paragraph 1 shall be omitted.
SCHEDULE
Article 4(3)(d)
PART VI OF SCHEDULE 1 TO THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT, AS AMENDED DEFINITIONS OF CERTAIN UNITS WHICH MAY NOT BE USED FOR TRADE
Measurement of length
Mile |
= |
1760 yards. |
Furlong |
= |
220 yards. |
Chain |
= |
22 yards. |
YARD |
= |
0·9144 metre. |
Foot |
= |
1/3 yard. |
Inch |
= |
1/36 yard. |
Measurement of area
Square mile |
= |
640 acres. |
Acre |
= |
4840 square yards. |
Rood |
= |
1210 square yards. |
Square yard |
= |
a superficial area equal to that of a square each side of which measures one yard. |
Square foot |
= |
1/9 square yard. |
Square inch |
= |
1/144 square foot. |
Measurement of volume
Cubic yard |
= |
a volume equal to that of a cube each edge of which measures one yard. |
Cubic foot |
= |
1/27 cubic yard. |
Cubic inch |
= |
1/1728 cubic foot. |
Measurement of capacity
Bushel |
= |
8 gallons. |
Peck |
= |
2 gallons. |
GALLON |
= |
4·546 09 cubic decimetres. |
Quart |
= |
1/4 gallon. |
Gill |
= |
1/4 pint. |
Fluid drachm |
= |
1/8 fluid ounce. |
Minim |
= |
1/60 fluid drachm. |
Measurement of mass or weight
