§ MR. KELLYI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the number of cases, including those in the High Court with their various districts, in which Official Receivers in bankruptcy have, during the last three years, obtained summary administration orders, and the assets showed amounts of over £300; and whether many of the Official Receivers are in the constant habit of certifying cases to be under £300 when they are considerably over such amount?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHI am not in a position to furnish the figures asked for by the hon. Member, and it would be a work of time and trouble to obtain them from different parts of the country. I may say, however, that the total number of orders for summary jurisdiction made during the last three years was:—In 1887, 3,868; in 1888, 4,022; and in 1889, 3,819. The number of cases administered by Official Receivers and closed during 1889 was 3,814; of these the number in which the assets realised less than £300 was 3,643. The number in which they realised more than £300 was 141. In 58 of the latter cases the debtors had themselves estimated that the estates were worth 68 less than £300, although the Official Receivers realised more. I cannot admit that Official Receivers are in the habit of underestimating the value of debtors estates, but in many cases the estimates of debtors as to the probable value of the assets are quite untrustworthy, and the Official Receivers are compelled to form their own judgment as to their actual value.