§ 1. Mr. Joplingasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now arrange to make a 2½p new penny coin available after the change over to decimalisation.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Dick Taverne)It would be premature to take any decision about minting a 2½p coin before we have the report on the sixpence for which my right 174 hon. Friend has asked the Decimal Currency Board.
§ Mr. JoplingDoes not the hon. and learned Gentleman think that it is about time that the Government made up their mind on this matter? Could the reason for all this dither be that they are looking for an excuse to put off decimalisation from February of next year until after the latest possible date for a General Election?
§ Mr. TaverneOn the last part of the hon. Gentleman's question, or observation, it has been made clear that there will not be any postponement of Decimal Day. On the first part, of course, there has been as much vacillation on this subject from hon. Members opposite as from others.
§ Mr. HigginsIs the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that this vacillation has not been apparent to anyone in the House? Does he not think that it is just a wee bit bizarre to refer a matter to the Decimal Currency Board when an officer of that Board expressed an opinion many months ago that this matter had gone beyond recall and that there was no question of reopening it?
§ Mr. TaverneOn the first part, I recollect the hon. Gentleman's right hon. Friend saying once that it was impossible to retain the 6d. within the £ decimal system. On the other point, the Decimal Currency Board will properly consider this and all the representations which are being made to it.