HM Treasury: National Changeover Plan – Public information

HM Treasury: National Changeover Plan - Public information:

On 23 February 1999 UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, launched the 'National Changeover Plan' setting out the practical measures needed for a British transition to the euro. The full text of the National Changeover Plan is available on the HM Treasury Euro site at http://www.euro.gov.uk/changeover.asp. Below is a reprinting of the text of the section relating to the need for an information strategy. The executive summary of the National Changeover Plan is reprinted on p8 of this issue of European Access.

Public Information:

This chapter looks at the public information which would be needed in the event that the UK decided to join EMU to inform businesses, public authorities, consumers and the general public once a referendum was over. The chapter summarises the information requirements for each stage of the changeover and looks at the need for specific, targeted campaigns aimed at certain vulnerable groups of society.

The public information programme could follow the timetable proposed in the rest of the outline changeover plan. In general, the longer the overall process, the more effective the information programme would be. This is particularly the case for certain groups with special information needs (see below).

Who would need to be informed?:

A general information campaign would focus on two particular groups: business; and the general public and consumers. For business, information would need to be designed to offer maximum help to:

- small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

- sole traders, including very small home-based businesses.

Additional, appropriately designed information would need to be made available to:

- elderly people

- blind and visually impaired people

- children and young people

- people with learning and perceptual difficulties.

The organisations who aim to help these two main groups would have an important role to play in designing and disseminating the information. The lists above might be expanded further in the light of experience from participating countries.

In addition to the public information programme, the wider public sector (government departments and local authorities) would be involved in informing businesses and the public directly (see Chapter 5 and the local authority case study) on specific issues, for example business rates. For the private sector, business organisations with a remit for particular sectors, the public utilities, and firms in supply chains would all have an important role to play.

Phases of the information campaign:

The Government's public information campaign would support each phase of the changeover plan. The plan assumes the early provision of clear, accurate information and its delivery through 'primed' information channels.

Decision

Any provision of information during a referendum campaign would comply with general rules on the conduct of referenda campaigns.

Referendum

Assuming a positive referendum outcome, a national information campaign on pricing standards and any legislative changes would be launched.

A campaign would provide information about the dual currency period, benefits and pensions, and any known practices that retailers would follow. The training of the trainers would begin.

A six month national information programme would be launched to straddle the date of joining, focusing initially on the practicalities of joining and then on encouraging recognition and understanding of the euro.

Introduction of notes and coins

Training strategy would be launched. Training materials and any conversion equipment, including currency converters, would be available.

A six month information programme would focus on recognition and understanding of the euro and then on the impending withdrawal of sterling.

The Government's publicity, and any price information provided by retailers, would help consumers to compare prices in the two currencies (see further detail in Chapter 4).

End of changeover

Sterling would continue to be exchangeable at banks for a set period thereafter. This would be brought to the attention of the public from time to time via a countdown campaign.

Next steps:

- Continue to make information available to SMEs about the near-term effects of the euro

- Establish specialist sub-groups with relevant parties to consider options and plan in outline campaigns for 'special needs' groups (e.g. elderly, young and school-age, those with learning difficulties, etc.)

- Meet with counterparts in other EU states to evaluate local information campaigns and information transfer mechanisms.

Further information on Britain and the euro can be found on HM Treasury's euro web site at http://www.euro.gov.uk/index.html.