§ SIR JOHN LENG (Dundee)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is cognisant of the practice of the principal Trustees Savings Banks in Scotland in publishing lists of persons having dormant accounts and long unclaimed balances, and of the large measure of success attending such publication in securing the payment of such balances to the rightful claimants; and whether he will call for a Report on the 1123 methods adopted by the Scottish Savings Banks in this connection with a view to its being brought under the consideration of Parliament?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir MICHAEL HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W.I understand that the Trustees of the Edinburgh Savings Bank exhibit in their bank offices a list of the names of persons whose accounts have not been dealt with for ten years or more; and that the Trustees of the Dundee Savings Bank—of which the hon. Member is a manager—prepared a similar list in 1895, which has since been advertised in The People's Journal. There may be one or two other instances, but, so far as I am aware, very few Trustees Savings Banks have done so. Trustees of savings banks continue liable for money deposited with them without limit of time, and I am not satisfied that it would be desirable to impose on the trustees the duty of preparing and publishing such lists, which could only be done at considerable trouble and expense.