When, five months ago, the Department of Trade & Industry triumphantly announced the European Commission's proposal to grant a further ten-years extension to 'dual marking' the impression was given that a reprieve had been won for imperial measures generally, including their exclusive use for the sale of fresh foods and other loose goods, a right which traders have always enjoyed and for which the EC had granted a separate ten-years concession in 1989. The DTI did nothing to correct that false reassurance, fearful of the outcry from the media and the public if it were realised that from next New Year it will indeed be a criminal offence to sell apples by the pound - or anything else by imperial weight or measure as the primary unit.

Traders will be required by the criminal law to price their loose goods and fresh foods in metric units. Imperial could be added but only as a subordinate, supplementary indicator. Then, when customers ask for goods in pounds and ounces they will be given what they want in kilos and grams.

Now, on 23 July (the Friday before the summer recess!), the Minister, Dr Howell, has furtively presented Parliament with a report on the implementation of the EC directives; the so-called "complete reappraisal of metrication policy." This gave rise to newspaper stories announcing, yet again, that the DTI had secured another ten-year deferment - which it had not! The ensuing chaos, caused by the Department of Trade and "Spin-dustry's" procrastination and prevarication, is unforgivable. The Minster knows that the policy is unjustifiable, unworkable, and must be repealed.

The British Weights & Measures Association says this is a disaster for ordinary shoppers who will have their sense of value destroyed and will suffer yet more from unscrupulous profiteers exploiting metric size shrinkage. A majority of the population prefer to use our traditional measures but the government simply refuses to give them what they want.

CONTACT: Mr Vivian Linacre, BWMA Director (Tel. & FAX: 0131 556 6080) 45 Montgomery Street, Edinburgh EH7 5JX

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