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Dr Kim Howells - Former Minister for Consumers and Corporate Affairs (Jul 1998 - Jun 2001)11th International Conference of Legal Metrology |
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Dr Faber, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome you to London - to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre - and to the 11th International Conference of Legal Metrology. Since taking up my current ministerial responsibilities, I have become increasingly aware how important measurement is in nearly all aspects of our lives. The Olympic Games, which finished last week in Sydney, highlighted over and over again how important, and how precious, a few thousandths of a second or a fraction of a centimetre can be. The measurements with which OIML, and therefore this Conference, are concerned are of far greater significance, because they affect all our lives in so many ways. Fair trade, personal health and safety, and the protection of the environment all depend on our ability to measure accurately and on our confidence in the results. In this country, as in so many others, the Government has a long record of taking the necessary steps to guarantee the integrity of measurement. In 1215, King John's Magna Carta included an instruction that there should be consistent standards for the measurement of grain, beer, and cloth throughout the country and from the thirteenth century onwards there were frequent Acts of Parliament to improve and develop the regulation of measurement. In the twenty-first century this development is still continuing, reflecting new technologies and a growing awareness of the contribution quality systems and accreditation can make to the reliability of products and the accuracy of measurements. Today it is not only the measurement of food and drink which is of interest to consumers and governments. Recent events in Europe have drawn attention to the measurement of vehicle fuels, where high prices increase consumer concern and provide greater incentive for fraud. Outside the area of trade, medical diagnosis and treatment, for instance, depend on reliable assessment of symptoms and accurate measurement of doses, whether of medicine or of radiation. Today in many countries, legislation is largely based on Recommendations prepared by you in OIML. In the UK, we have aligned our requirements for trade measuring instruments with OIML specifications. Thus collaboration at the international level not only facilitates the sharing of best practice, it is also helping to remove barriers to trade which had grown up as nations developed their national laws. Here in Europe, the European Commission has just published its proposals for a measuring instruments Directive, which will ensure common regulatory requirements for a wide range of measuring instruments throughout the European Union. One of the unusual features of this Directive is the inclusion of references to OIML Recommendations for the performance requirements for measuring instruments. The UK will work with its partners in Europe, and with you in OIML, so that our legislation is consistent with that in the rest of the world. OIML has an important task here, ensuring that the necessary specifications are available and up-to-date, to form the basis for this new European regime. It is of course essential to ensure that access to these modern markets and the benefits of good metrolological regulation are equally available to developing countries. I see that developing countries are well represented at this Conference and I am interested to learn that your own Development Council will meet here on Wednesday morning. By providing information, advice, and training to developing countries, as well as by listening to their particular concerns, you can facilitate their access to markets and contribute to the removal of technical barriers which discriminate against those countries which are still in a state of industrial development. By hosting this Conference, my government has indicated its continuing support for international collaboration in the field of metrology. UK representatives play an active role in OIML and in the work of other international bodies with an interest in metrology: the Metre Convention and ILAC in particular. My officials at the National Weights and Measures Laboratory participate in OIML in various ways, and they have been instrumental in establishing WELMEC as the European regional cooperation in legal metrology. There are now no fewer than nine similar regional groups, and the meeting on Saturday morning will offer them the opportunity to compare notes with a view to dissolving barriers which may still exist between them. All in all, you have a full and busy week ahead of you. I wish you a successful Conference and hope that the resolutions at your final session on Friday morning will reflect fruitful discussion and set the agenda for the success of OIML in the coming years. I look forward to hearing a report of your progress from Dr Bennett and to meeting you all again at the reception on Thursday evening. Have a good week! |
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Other speeches by Dr Kim Howells - Former Minister for Consumers and Corporate Affairs (Jul 1998 - Jun 2001) |
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