§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the new 20 pound note does not have a £ sign. [89264]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 1 July 1999]: The design of notes is a matter for the Bank of England.
The new £20 note features the numeral 20 in the top corners of both sides and the pound sign appears before three of those. The exception is before the numeral in the top right hand corner above the portrait of The Queen.
To assist the partially sighted (and tourists who may be unfamiliar with the note), all four numerals have been designed to be as large and as bold as possible in the limited space available; to maximise this visibility, the pound sign was omitted in one place. In addition the words "Twenty Pounds" appear on both sides of the note.