...
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1976
METRICATION BILL TO BE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO SHORTLY ******
A BILL WILL SHORTLY BE INTRODUCED TO GIVE LEGISLATIVE EFFECT TO THE METRIC SYSTEM AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE USE OF METRIC UNITS IN ALL EXISTING LEGISLATION WHERE IMPERIAL OR CHINESE UNITS HAVE BEEN LAID DOWN,
THIS WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON, DAVID MCDONALD, IN REPLY TO POINTS RAISED DURING AN ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON METRICATION.
MR. MCDONALD SAID A FEW OUTSTANDING POINTS REGARDING ORGANISATIONAL MATTERS HAD BEEN LARGELY SETTLED AND THE BILL WOULD BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY FOR GENERAL INFORMATION.
THE DIRECTOR EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS RESOLVED TO MOVE AHEAD IN ENCOURAGING THE WIDER ADOPTION OF METRICATION IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, BUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR WOULD NOT BE COMPELLED TO ADOPT METRIC MEASUREMENTS.
THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID, HAD SOME RESERVATIONS AS TO WHETHER THE SETTING UP OF A METRICATION BOARD SUPPORTED BY A FULL-TIME SECRETARIAT, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE METRICATION COMMITTEE, WAS THE MOST SUITABLE WAY OF ORGANISING FURTHER MOVES TOWARDS METRICATION.
+OUR PRESENT VIEW, ALTHOUGH IT HAS YET TO BE FINALLY SETTLED AND CLEARLY WE MUST CONSULT THOSE OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT WHO HAVE AN INTEREST, IS THAT A NON-STATUTORY ADVISORY BODY SHOULD BE SET UP WITH THE TASK OF GUIDING AND FACILITATING THE ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS THROUGH ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY,+ HE SAID.
HE ADDED IT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE TIME BEFORE THE COMPOSITION AND TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THIS BODY COULD BE SETTLED, BUT IN THE MEANTIME A METRICATION OFFICER WAS TO BE APPOINTED TO THE ECONOMIC SERVICES BRANCH OF THE COLONIAL SECRETARIAT WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INTRODUCING METRICATION THROUGHOUT THE GOVERNMENT AND ADVISING THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON METRICATION MATTERS GENERALLY,
THE INTENTION, HE SAID, WAS THAT THE METRICATION OFFICER WITH A SMALL STAFF WOULD FORM THE NUCLEUS OF THE TEAM WHICH WOULD SERVICE AND SUPPORT THE PROPOSED NON-STATUTORY ADVISORY BODY.
MR. MCDONALD NOTED THAT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE FOR VARIOUS REASONS TO PRESS AHEAD AS QUICKLY AS HAD BEEN HOPED WITH THE METRICATION PROGRAMME, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PROGRESS HAD BEEN ACHIEVED IN AREAS DIRECTLY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTROL.
/IN THE