HC Deb 03 December 1963 vol 685 cc971-2
35. Mr. Lipton

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much it costs to mint one halfpenny.

Mr. Green

The Mint's foreign competitor's do not reveal their production costs and I do not, therefore, think that it would be right to expect the Mint to reveal its.

Mr. Lipton

Is it not surprising that the Minister thinks that there is some danger of competition in the manufacture of halfpennies in foreign countries? Would it be right to assume that the cost of manufacturing the halfpenny is more than a halfpenny and that, therefore, this operation is a dead loss for the Royal Mint?

Mr. Green

The hon. Gentleman will have to draw his own conclusions from the Answer I have given.

Mr. Rankin

Would it be right to reveal the cost of printing the £1 note?

Mr. Green

What I have said about the Royal Mint relates in exactly the same way to currency notes.