Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the nature is of his Department's financial contribution to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures; and if he will make a statement on the current programme of that institution. [52572] Barry Gardiner: The DTI pays an annual donation to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). For 2006 this is £581,346.16 (€848,309). The sum to be paid is set according to rules annexed to the Metre Convention of 1875 and is agreed by the General Conference on Weights and Measures which meets every four years, the last meeting being in 2003.
The BIPM is the international body set up as a result of the Metre Convention with the aim of ensuring world-wide uniformity of measurements and their traceability to the International System of Units (SI). A significant part of its work is in supporting the Mutual Recognition Arrangement—which allows for the international acceptance of measurement results which are traceable to National Standards.
BIPM's scientific and technical programme provides it with the ability to carry out its role. It is published by the BIPM and is reported on annually in the Directors report. Significant features of the programme are: the responsibility to conserve and disseminate the primary standard of mass—the international prototype of the kilogram; to establish and disseminate International Atomic Time (TAI) and Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC); and to provide unique facilities such as the International Reference System for radionuclides. Work is also carried out in a number of other aspects of metrology such as length and chemistry. | 
