Weights and Measures Act 1985

Products and equipment used etc. before 1st December 1980

13(1)Nothing in section 8 of this Act shall prevent any of the units of measurement mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) below being used for products or equipment which were placed on the market or used before 1st December 1980, other than weighing or measuring equipment (including weights).

(2)The units of measurement referred to in sub-paragraph (1) above are the chain, furlong, rood, square mile, square inch, cubic yard, cubic foot, cubic inch, ton, hundredweight, cental, quarter, stone, dram, grain and quintal.

14(1)Weighing equipment (including weights) which weighs wholly or partly in grains, stones, quarters, hundredweights or tons may continue to be used for trade if, in the case of equipment prescribed for the purposes of section 11 of this Act, it was first passed as fit for use for trade and where necessary stamped in accordance with the 1963 Act before 1st December 1980 or if, in the case of equipment not so prescribed, it was placed on the market and used before that date.

(2)Measuring equipment measuring in square inches, cubic inches or cubic feet may continue to be used for trade if it was placed on the market and used before 1st December 1980.

(3)Nothing in sub-paragraph (1) above shall be taken as authorising the continued use for trade of the grain, stone, quarter, hundredweight or ton except in so far as the weight of the goods in those units or partly in those units is treated as having been made known to a prospective buyer by virtue of sections 45(1)(a) and 46 of this Act.

15Paragraphs 12(1) and 14(1) and (2) above have effect notwithstanding regulation 3 of the [S.I. 1978/484.] Units of Measurement Regulations 1978 (under which certain units are not authorised for use in certain circumstances on or after 27th April 1978) and regulation 8 of the [S.I. 1980/1070.] Units of Measurement Regulations 1980 (under which certain units are not authorised for use in certain circumstances on or after 1st September 1980).

16(1)Nothing in section 8 of this Act shall prevent any unit of measurement being used for components and parts of products and of equipment necessary to supplement or replace components or parts of products and equipment referred to in paragraph 13(1) or 14(1) or (2) above.

(2)Nothing in regulation 3 of the [S.I. 1978/484.] Units of Measurement Regulations 1978 or in regulation 8 of the Units of Measurement Regulations 1980 shall prevent any unit of measurement being used for components and parts of products and of equipment necessary to supplement or replace components or parts of products and equipment referred to in paragraph 14(1) or (2) above.

17(1)This paragraph applies to any pattern of weighing equipment—

(a)the certificate of approval in respect of which was, or is deemed to have been, granted under section 12 of the 1963 Act and was in force immediately before 1st December 1980, and

(b)which provides for weighing to be made wholly or partly in grains, stones, quarters, hundredweights or tons,

including a pattern modified in accordance with an authorisation of the Secretary of State granted or deemed to have been granted under that section before 4th April 1979 and for the time being in force.

(2)Without prejudice to paragraph 14 above, every pattern of weighing equipment to which this paragraph applies shall continue to be deemed modified to the extent necessary to require equipment of that pattern—

(a)to weigh in pounds with scale intervals in the form 1 x 10ⁿ, 2 x 10ⁿor 5 x 10ⁿpounds, the index n being a positive or negative whole number or zero, in substitution for stones, quarters, hundredweights or tons or fractions thereof and to have its capacity expressed in pounds, or

(b)to weigh in multiples or fractions of an ounce troy in substitution for grains or fractions thereof and to have its capacity expressed in ounces troy.