Out of 100 linueps , I got him in one . He may go large today but I ' m not willing to risk any other lineups on him . <| sep |> Adopting the metric system was discussed in Parliament as early as 1818 and some industries and even some government agencies had metricated , or were in the process of metricating by the mid 1960 s . However , a formal government policy to support metrication was not agreed until 1965 . This policy , initiated in response to requests from industry , was to support voluntary metrication , with costs picked up where they fell . In 1969 the government created the Metrication Board as a quango to promote and coordinate metrication . In 1978 , after some carpet retailers reverted to pricing by the square yard rather than the square metre , government policy shifted , and they started issuing orders making metrication mandatory in certain sectors . In 1980 government policy shifted again to prefer voluntary metrication , and the Metrication Board was abolished . By the time the Metrication Board was wound up , all the economic sectors that fell within its remit except road signage and parts of the retail trade sector had metricated . The treaty of accession to the European Economic Community EEC , which the United Kingdom joined in 1973 , obliged the United Kingdom to incorporate into domestic law all EEC directives , including the use of a prescribed SIbased set of units for many purposes within five years . By 1980 most prepackaged goods were sold using the prescribed units . Mandatory use of prescribed units for retail sales took effect in 1995 for packaged goods and in 2000 for goods sold loose by weight . The use of supplementary indications or alternative units generally the traditional imperial units formerly used was originally to have been permitted for only a limited period . However , that period had to be extended a number of times due to public resistance , until in 2009 the requirement to ultimately cease use of traditional units alongside metric units was finally removed . yes , but joining the EEC and the standards they imposed probably sped it up .