SHORT TITLE, CITATION AND COMMENCEMENT (Hansard, 27 March 1969)

§ Mr. Taverne
I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
The Bill has been mainly concerned with the changeover period and with the vital rôle, which will emerge more and more in the period before decimal day arrives, of the Decimal Currency Board. At this stage I will restrict my remarks to the plans of the Board.
It is essential for everyone to realise that D-day is less than two years ahead. It is necessary for each and every organisation affected by the change to make detailed plans. The Decimal Currency Board will be concentrating this year on the retailer and doing its best to ensure that retailers understand what decimalisation involves.
Towards the end of 1970 the Board will turn its efforts towards its publicity campaign for the benefit of the public. The Board believes, I consider rightly, that it would be a mistake to mount its largest campaign too soon.
1922 Although hon. Members may not be concerned with the Bill after today, we can all play a part in our constituencies in helping people to understand what this historic change in the currency system means. Publicity is vital in this matter. The knowledge of the public is equally vital and retailers should, therefore, make their plans in good time.

§ Mr. Higgins
The House in general will agree that it is to be hoped that the purpose of the Bill, which is to facilitate the process of decimalisation will not result in the transition causing difficulty and that the transition will take place as smoothly as possible. That must be agreed, whatever one's views about the type of coinage or process of decimalisation. Whether or not the change-over is smooth will depend to a considerable extent on the way in which business men and others most affected by the change plan ahead and get their plans going at as early a date as possible.
The Minister will appreciate, because we have debated this matter at length both in Committee and on the Floor of the House, that my hon. Friends and I are not entirely happy with the Bill as it stands. One point has come to my attention recently.
1923 Earlier, the hon. and learned Gentleman referred to the conversion of certain machines, such as chocolate machines, saying that they would be delivering larger bars which would, in future, be paid for under this Bill and under the Act by the new 5 penny coin, the equivalent of the present 1s. coin. But I understand that many of those who are trying to convert their machines already—and I am sure that the hon. and learned Gentleman will agree that the earlier conversion takes place the better—are finding that an adequate supply of the present 1s. coin or of the new 5 penny coin is not available. Consequently, while they are increasing the size of the items they are selling to double or thereabouts, they are having to put in machines which take two of the present sixpences. If that is so, they are incurring even more expense than they would otherwise need to do.
Now that the Bill has reached Third Reading and will, no doubt, soon pass through its further stages, I hope that the hon. and learned Gentleman will ensure an adequate supply of coins of the new denominations in the period leading up to the transitional period as well as in the transitional period itself and beyond. This is an item which has not so far been covered by the Decimal Currency Board. I hope that it will now do so and that the period of transition will be smooth.

§ Mr. Taverne
Perhaps, by leave of the House, I can now reply to the hon. Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins). I take note of what he has sa1d. As I understand it, it is not the absence of adequate supplies of these coins so far as the Mint is concerned that is the difficulty, but the real difficulty is the one I was trying to convince him of earlier, which is that how far a coin is popular depends on how far people like to use it and not on the bank supply.
The Is. coin has always suffered difficulty in that it has not been a popular change-giving coin and has not found its way into circulation quite as rapidly as most people have wished. Hence the need often to change to two sixpenny coin-taking machines rather than shilling ones. We shall certainly look into the point.
1924 Before closing, I should like to thank the hon. Member for Worthing and his colleagues, in particular the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Nott)—who I understand is ill—and also my hon. Friend the Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Mac-donald) for the assistance they have given throughout our discussion. They have made great contributions to the general discussion of the Bill, which is an important part of the transition itself.