§ Mr. Jim Lesterasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the wider circulation of £5 notes, if he will consider a variation in size which would enable blind or partially sighted people more easily to avoid confusion with the £1 note.
§ Mr. DellThe Bank of England is in the course of issuing a new series of bank notes, and a new £20 note and a new £5 note have already been introduced. A new £10 note will be brought out shortly and will be followed by a new £1 note within a few years. In the consideration of the new series, the sizes of the notes for each denomination were discussed with and agreed to by representatives of the blind. The new £1 notes will be of smaller dimensions than the present notes of that value, and this should reduce the possibility of confusion arising between the £1 and £5 notes.