HL Deb 24 March 1970 vol 308 cc1332-3
EARL FERRERS

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 intend to change the design of the new 1p piece in view of the marked similarity in size of the present 6d. piece and the proposed new 1p piece, and the fact that both coins will be in circulation concurrently.]

LORD BESWICK

No, my Lords. The decimal new penny is designed in a metal of quite different colour from that in which the sixpence is made and, in addition, will have a plain instead of a milled edge. The two coins will therefore be readily distinguished when used in cash transactions between people, and so far as slot machines are concerned those properly adjusted to operate on sixpences will not take decimal one penny pieces.

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that reply. Is it not a fact that the difference in diameter of these two coins is less than a millimetre? Does he believe that machines designed to take sixpenny pieces will be able to discern such a small difference?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, my information is that in fact the difference is a millimetre and, as I said in my main Answer, properly adjusted machines will be able to discern the difference.

BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY

My Lords, may I ask whether the coins are readily distinguishable by blind people?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I take the noble Baroness's point, which is a serious one. I understand that there is a difference in the feel of the two coins, particularly because one is milled and the other is not.