Bank Notes: Design
(asked on 30th June 2026) - View Source
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2026, to Question 10697, on Bank Notes: Design, what discussions the Office for Equality and Opportunity had with the Bank of England on the proposed changes to bank note designs and imagery on bank notes, and whether there is a (a) written and (b) electronic record of the discussions.
This question was answered on 7th July 2026
The design of bank notes is a matter for the Bank of England, which is independent of the Government. There has been no engagement between Cabinet Office or Equalities Ministers and the Bank of England on banknote design and imagery. Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity responded to an email from a Bank of England counterpart in August 2025 in relation to their consultation on this topic as part of normal due process – as they did in 2013 under the previous government during a previous review.
The design of bank notes is a matter for the Bank of England, which is independent of the Government. There has been no engagement between Cabinet Office or Equalities Ministers and the Bank of England on banknote design and imagery. Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity responded to an email from a Bank of England counterpart in August 2025 in relation to their consultation on this topic as part of normal due process – as they did in 2013 under the previous government during a previous review.