MR. BRYN ROBERTS (Carnarvonshire, Eifion)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of times the Official Receiver for North Wales and Chester has attended personally at the Bangor Bankruptcy Court and the Portmadoc and Festiniog Bankruptcy Court respectively, on public examinations of bankrupts, examinations under Section 27 of the Bankruptcy Act, and on Motions by, or against, the Official Receiver during the three years ended the 31st December 1894; and what is the number of similar attendances by the Deputy Official Receiver; and whether he approves of the Official 1706 Receiver discharging his duties at these Courts and their districts by deputy while he devotes his time to private practice as a solicitor at Wrexham?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. J. BRYCE,) Aberdeen, S.Attendances in Court in the district of North Wales, which embraces five separate Courts, are divided between the Official Receiver and the Assistant Official Receiver, with regard to the place of residence of each officer. The Official Receiver, who resides at Wrexham, and personally conducts the business at the Wrexham Court, has attended nine times during the period referred to at the Bangor Court, and twice at the Portmadoc Court; while the Assistant Official Receiver, who resides at Rhyl, has attended 65 times at the Bangor Court, and 55 times at the Portmadoc and Festiniog Courts. The Official Receiver was informed some months ago that a larger amount of his personal attention must be given to the proceedings in the various Courts throughout his widely scattered district, and he has assured the Department that this would be done. But where the duties are satisfactorily performed I am not prepared to lay down as an inflexible rule that an Official Receiver shall personally conduct every application to and proceeding in Court.
MR. BRYN ROBERTSDoes the right hon. Gentleman think it right that the Receiver should farm out a portion of his work to a deputy?
§ MR. BRYCEI do not think that what has happened can quite properly be described by the expression used by my hon. Friend. It is an important question, and one which I can assure my hon. Friend is receiving my very anxious attention.