TNAG-1363-FCO40-1809-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 23

Question No. 1

35

Reply by the Hon. E.P. Ho, CBE, JP, Secretary for Trade and Industry, to a question by

The Hon. CHEUNG Yan-lung, OBE, SBStJ, JP,

in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, 20 November 1985

F

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council what progress has been made in inducing the man in the street to use the metric system, when it is expected that the system will be fully implemented in all retail markets and whether such full implementation will result in better consumer protection?

накопла

RECEIVED IN KUCISTRY

- 4 DEC 1985

KLI

The Metrication Committee has since 1978 embarked

on a publicity and educational programme to encourage, help

and persuade all sectors of the community to adopt the metric

system and use metric units. The rationale is that the

international trend is towards metrication.

2.

Through the efforts of the Committee, much

progress has been made. In three of the five broad target

areas identified by the Committee metrication has been

achieved: these are education and training, building and

construction, and public utilities.

3.

Progress has also been made at the retail level

where metric units are now used in the labelling of

prepackaged food and drinks and in a wide range of household

goods and electrical appliances. A recent survey by the

Committee shows that 70% of clothing and fashion products

have converted to the new system.

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