The Price Marking (Amendment) Order 1994

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends subordinate legislation made under the Prices Act 1974.

On its coming into force it substitutes a new article 7 in the Price Marking Order 1991 (“the 1991 Order”) which required any indication of the unit price of food given by reference to a metric unit of measurement to be accompanied by a unit price given by reference to an imperial unit. The new article 7, substituted by article 2(1) of this Order, provides instead two new requirements that are alternatives to each other.

Unit prices of food given by reference to the kilogram or to 100 grams must be accompanied either by unit prices given by reference, respectively, to the pound (lb) or the ¼ lb or they must be accompanied by the display, on the premises where the food is sold, of at least one price conversion chart which will enable comparisons to be made between specimen metric and imperial unit prices.

These alternatives will apply wherever food is sold loose from bulk until 1st January 2000 but will cease to apply to food sold otherwise on 1st October 1995.

Article 2(2) of the Order amends, on 1st October 1995, provisions of the 1991 Order and the Price Marking (Pre-packed Milk in Vending Machines) Order 1976. Their amendment is required by the amendments made by Council Directive 89/617/EEC (OJ No. L357, 7.12.89, p.28) to Council Directive 80/181/EEC (OJ No. L39, 15.2.80, p.40) (“the Directive”) which relates to the use of units of measurement for “economic, public health, public safety or administrative purposes”.

Those provisions of the 1991 Order which relate to the price marking of petrol by reference to the gallon are amended or revoked on 1st October 1995 so as to discontinue the obligation, imposed by article 15 of the 1991 Order, to display gallon equivalent prices. Amendments are also made to article 6 of the 1991 Order on 1st October 1995 by article 2(2) of this Order to permit the use of the pound (lb) and the ounce in connection with the unit pricing of goods (including food) sold loose from bulk until 1st January 2000. Article 6 is further amended by article 2(3) of this Order so as to permit the continued use of the pint in connection with the price marking of milk in a returnable bottle without a fixed time limit.

A Compliance Cost Assessment of the impact that this Order will have on business will be available in the libraries of the Houses of Parliament once the Order, having been made, is laid before Parliament and from the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Trade and Industry, Room 407, 10-18 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0NN.