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The NMS improves quality of life

The NMS provides benefits through two routes:

• economic for example, through improved international trade, and enhanced manufacturing processes;
• non-economic, for example, by improving quality of life in a wide range of fields including health and safety, environment, law and order, defence, leisure and trade and consumer protection.

The extent to which each NMS programme contributes to the economic and non-economic benefits will vary from programme to programme. Invariably, the benefits are intertwined and will vary across the wide range of fields outlined above. It is difficult to assess the proportion of any metrology programme which supports quality of life. This is mainly because many of the programme outputs, such as the provision of traceability for measurements and input to specification and standardisation bodies, support activities which are not only essential for trade, product development etc. but also enhance quality of life.

Examples include:

• the Legal metrology programme focuses on inspiring confidence in trade and consumer protection;
• the Physical metrology programme enables calibration of equipment used to monitor or improve the quality or safety of drinking water and water in rivers, streams and the sea.
• the maintenance and enhancement of existing measurement services for fibre, in the Physical metrology programme, to include higher powers, broader wavelength ranges and new fibres for use in communication and information services will mean faster internet services.