asked the President of the Board of Trade what action has been taken to provide suitable standards following the change-over of the British pharmaceutical industry to the metric system.

Measures of 2·5 litre and 250 millilitres were legalised for use in trade in 1953. More recently the Glass Manufacturers' Federation has asked for a measure of 25 millilitres to be legalised and an Order in Council giving effect to this will be laid before Parliament shortly.

While thanking my hon. Friend for his Answer, may I ask whether he suggests that the metric system will now be introduced over a wider field in industry?

The Hodgson Committee did recommend the adoption of the metric system, but the Government have not accepted this. Nevertheless, we welcome the initiative of the British Association which is inquiring into this matter, and we shall be interested in due course to see the results of its investigation. Such knowledge as we have at the Board of Trade is at the Association's disposal.