§ 2.41 p.m.
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is proposed to issue £1 and 10s. notes of the same size as each other; and, if so, what form of differentiation will be used, so that blind persons may distinguish between the two denominations.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)My Lords, on 19th November the Bank of England announced that they proposed to issue £1 and 10s. notes of identical size. They have, however, assured the Chancellor of the Exchequer that they are fully alive to the difficulties which this will cause for blind people, and last Thursday the Bank discussed the problem with representatives of St. Dunstan's and of the Royal National Institute for the Blind. I understand that the Bank of England have undertaken to reconsider the matter and to keep in touch with the two organisations with a view to finding some method by which one denomination may be distinguishable from the other.
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer. Can he not say whether it is true, as reported in the papers, that they are going to make these notes the same length but of a different width?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, the new £1 notes will be of smaller width than the present ones. I tried to find out why the Bank could not just leave things alone.
§ SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: Hear, hear!
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEI understand it is thought that the present £5 notes are too large, and that it is desirable to have a smaller variation in size than at present for purposes of convenience in handling. It is very difficult to get four different kinds of notes of four different sizes which are all of convenient dimensions for handling and which can be economically manufactured by machinery. But I am told there may be a possibility, which the Bank are examining, of making some differentiation which will enable a blind person more easily to distinguish between £1 and 10s. notes. The main object of the Bank is to get the four different denominations of more or less the same size for convenience of handling, but of different colours.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, is the noble Earl aware that the new £5 notes are very much like our Scottish £1 notes and it would be a terrible thing for a Scot to give away £5 in mistake for £1?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, on the other hand, it is a very great advantage to him to be given a £5 note in mistake for a £1 note.
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, could the noble Earl tell us whether, if the sizes of these notes are going to be very much the same, it is possible for the Bank to consider having some sort of embossment in some place on them in order to help blind people to distinguish them in another way, and not only by size?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEI will certainly represent that to the Bank of England. I daresay they have thought of the possibility. I know they are trying to see if something can be done.