Scientific Infrastructure (S&T Report)

Lord Popat Excerpts

Tuesday 13th May 2014 Grand Committee

[Lord Howe of Aberavon (Con)]

I wonder how far I can afford to be profoundly discourteous. I did not know that this debate was taking place; I have only just seen its identity and its nature. One of my overwhelmingly important hobby horses is our total failure and neglect of our units of measurement—

[Lord Popat (Con)]

I apologise to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Howe. Noble Lords were listed to speak in this debate.

[Lord Howe of Aberavon]

May I intervene? Is there a speakers list?

[Lord Popat]

We already have two speakers in the gap.

[Lord Howe of Aberavon]

Am I allowed to ask a question?

[Lord Popat]

Yes, the noble and learned Lord may carry on.

[Lord Howe of Aberavon]

I wanted to ask only the following question. Magna Carta declared profoundly that the most important thing for the country was a coherent and effective system of units and measures, and that has been repeatedly reviewed. I will not go through the details to a great extent, but once in the 19th century—in 1862—the House of Commons unanimously recommended the adoption of the metric system. In 1904 the House of Commons did the same thing. In 1939 it was adopted. Certainly, in my time as Minister for Consumer Affairs in 1984 it was there, and we dealt with it entirely.

This is why it is important for me to make the following confession: the folly which created our present chaos came about when I was Chancellor of the Exchequer, in 1983 I think it was. The Metrication Board had been in existence for many years. I dissolved the board, whose work was completed, but as a result we are now almost unique in that almost everyone—schools, scholars, scientists—has to grapple with a dual system of measurements. Happily, Ireland has given that up and it has metrication, as has most of the Commonwealth—Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. We are alone in this shambolic state. I plead, deeply seriously, to take this opportunity to draw attention to it. I hope that noble Lords have been taking close interest in this important set of problems, because I cannot think of any other aspect of it that deserves more importance than the one that I have had the impertinence to identify.