Britain to push ahead with readying ground for a digital pound

LONDON (Reuters) - Getting the design of a digital pound right is a bigger priority than having a rapid launch, Britain's financial services minister Andrew Griffith said on Tuesday.

"We have got to get it right," Griffith told parliament's Treasury Select Committee, adding that being right was more important than being first given the UK's "strong financial reputation".

"It will be a long lead-time activity," Griffith said. A public consultation on the attributes of a digital pound would be launched in coming weeks, though without a final decision on whether to push ahead with one.

(Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Alison Williams)