In article ,
Urman writes:
Is there somewhere on the net where I can see the British Standard
for main cables for free? The sites I try seem to charge for it.

That's because British Standards charge for all their standards.
When the standard is a joint one with some other body (as in the
case of the Wiring Regs), it is usually cheaper from the other
body.

Based on this search http://tinyurl.com/ycnzz8 I think the standard
is BS6500 (1990).

"Electric cables. Flexible cords rated at 300/500V, for use
with appliances and equipment intended for domestic, office
and similar environments."

A 1990 version would be out of date (I see a reference to a
2000 version, but I don't know if that's the latest).

--
Andrew Gabriel