Fight to save feet and inches

5.19.06pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 27th Apr 2007

John Hemming, Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, has tabled a motion to allow Model Engineers and Heritage Engineers to use imperial measurements after 2009.

"Models and old machine use inches and feet as their key units of length", he said, "If Model Engineers are not even allowed to use rulers measured in inches let alone buy replacement machinery then they will be unable to maintain their models. Currently 'supplementary indications' are scheduled to be phased out by December 2009 under a European Directive agreed in 1980."

"The government should have thought this out properly," he said, "there are exemptions for the use of miles for measuring distance. However, there are no exemptions for model engineering. Urgent action is needed from government to avoid long term damage to the model engineering industry and exporters dealing with the USA."

Early Day Motion (EDM) 1290

BRITISH HERITAGE ENGINEERING AND IMPERIAL UNITS

"That this House notes the concerns of model engineers and other heritage engineering workers that they may not be allowed to use imperial measurements subsequent to the EU Directive 80/181; recognises that this could do a considerable amount of damage to the maintenance of imperial heritage engineering and the model engineering sector; and calls for an urgent review by the Government of mechanisms to facilitate the continuation of this aspect of British heritage, which may include a permanent derogation from this aspect of the directive facilitating the reporting of measurements in both imperial and metric units."

The EDM has been signed by 25 MPs including Vince Cable the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats.