HL Deb 07 November 1962 vol 244 cc273-4

2.42 p.m.

LORD FRASER OF LONSDALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any further statement to make regarding the decimalisation of the currency.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, BOARD OF TRADE (LORD DERWENT)

No, my Lords, the Committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Halsbury, continues to consider this question. I hope that its Report will be available early in 1963.

LORD FRASER OF LONSDALE

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that relatively satisfactory answer, may I ask whether the Report will be followed by a White Paper and whether it is hoped that it will be in hand soon enough, should it be desirable, to proceed with legislation this coming year?

LORD DERWENT

My Lords, as far as I know, the question about a White Paper has not yet been settled because the Report is not yet complete and, of course, I do not know how soon legislation will come forward. It may be slightly delayed after publication of the Report, because it is the intention of the Committee that a summary of the evidence taken should be included in their Report and there will probably be a good deal of reading to be done before legislation, if any, is brought in.