MR. W. BECKETT DENISONasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is his intention to proceed with the Post Office (Money Orders) Bill either in its present shape or some other; if so, whether before proceeding with it he will lay upon the Table of the House the 25 form of Notes, in their respective denominations, in order to issue which he proposes to ask for the repeal of the Bank Charter Acts in favour of the Post Office; and, whether such Notes, if issued, being orders for the payment of money on demand, will not be liable to Stamp Duty; and, if so, whether he intends also to ask for the repeal of the Stamp Act in favour of the Post Office, in order to enable it to issue the Notes free of duty?
§ SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSONIt is the intention of the Government to proceed with the Bill. What I propose to do is to lay this evening on the Table of the House the proposed regulations to be made under the Bill, as well as the modifications I intend to make in the Bill in the shape of Amendments. Those Amendments will alter the 12 months to six; they will make the denominations of notes for sums of less than £1, and they will limit the power of the Postmaster General to pay expired notes. The Amendments will also contain the form of the money order, which I propose to place in a Schedule to the Bill. When that is done it will be unnecessary to repeal the Bank Charter Acts in favour of the Post Office, and that Schedule will be omitted. In answer to the last Question, as there may be a doubt whether the new orders would come under the exemption from stamp duty given to the original money orders, I propose to exempt them directly by a clause in the Bill.
§ MR. DODSONDoes the hon. Member propose to proceed with the Bill tonight?
§ SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSONNo; I propose to defer it for a fortnight.