§ Mr. CouchmanTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans for the Royal Mint to become an executive agency under the Next Steps initiative.
§ Mr. RyderI am pleased to announce that my right hon. Friend has considered whether the Royal Mint should become a Next Steps executive agency and has decided that it should. Executive agency status would help the Mint further to develop its business on sound commercial lines. The aim will be to give the mint agency status by 1 April 1990.