§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the Memorials and other documents received from bankers and others which induced the Government to give up their proposal, in the Post Office Savings Banks Bill, to raise the maximum yearly deposit in Post Office Savings Banks from £30 to £50?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)No, Sir; it is not usual to lay on the Table the Memorials or other documents which 261 the Government may receive under circumstances of this nature. But I must correct the impression my hon. Friend appears to entertain. The Government have not given way to the opposition of the bankers; but the representations they have received from the Trustee Savings Banks made it clear to them that a further opposition would have to be encountered, which, at this period of the Session, might be fatal to the Bill, unless an extension of the limit of deposits from £30 to £50 was conceded to the Trustee Savings Banks. Having regard to the rate of interest paid by Trustee Savings Banks and to other circumstances the Government felt it impossible to concede that demand, and they therefore propose to withdraw the clause.