§ 33. Mr. DAYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that certain Government Departments demand that the public, in tendering a five-pound note in payment for value received, shall sign their names and addresses on the back; can he state whether these instructions are issued by his Department; and will he state what is the highest denomination of Bank of England notes the Government Departments consider as legal tender?
Mr. SAMUELBank of England notes of any amount are legal tender in England and Wales, and the £1 and 10s. notes are legal tender also in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is a common practice to ask persons who tender notes for £5 and upwards to write their names on the back. As the notes are legal tender there is no obligation on the person tendering the note to comply, though equally there is no obligation on the receiver to give change. There are no special instructions to Government Departments on the subject, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any case in which inconvenience has been caused, I will look into it.
§ Mr. DAYWill the hon. Gentleman confer with his colleague the Postmaster-General, so that Post Office assistants are not instructed to ask the public to sign their names and addresses on the back of £5 notes?
Mr. SAMUELYes, Sir. But in my own personal experience the Post Office does not insist on this signing.
§ Mr. DAYWill the hon. Gentleman ask the Postmaster-General to instruct his assistants that they are not even to ask people who tender £5 notes to sign their names on them? In my experience people are asked to sign.
Mr. SAMUELI will convey the suggestion to the Postmaster-General, but I have reason to know that a former Postmaster-General has already given that instruction.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs it not illegal to write on a £5 note?
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the hon. Gentleman raise the slogan of "sign early and often."