§ MR. LUNDONOn behalf of the hon. Member for the St. Patrick Division of Dublin I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury what number of savings bank depositors in the United Kingdom in the year 1902, with Irish, Scotch, or English deposit books, made deposits or received withdrawals outside of Ireland, Scotland, or England respectively; and whether it is more economical and convenient to keep Irish Savings Bank accounts in London for the convenience of such depositors than to give Ireland greater facilities for Post Office Savings Bank business by having the accounts kept in Dublin.
§ MR. LUNDONI beg also to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the present number of officials employed on the Irish Savings Bank accounts in London would be sufficient to deal with such accounts if they were kept in Dublin; and, if so, in what way would it cost more to deal with Irish Savings Bank accounts by a special staff at Dublin if such accounts were kept there instead of in London.
§ MR. ELLIOTI will answer these Questions at the same time. I regret that I am unable to give the figures asked for in the hon. Member's first Question. I do not think it would be right to diminish the facilities which the depositors to whom he refers now enjoy, and the transfer of the accounts to Dublin would not afford any increased facilities to Irish depositors. The answer to the first part of the hon. Member's other Question is in the negative. If the Irish Savings Bank accounts were kept in Dublin, additional controlling force would be necessary, and 583 extra staff would be necessary to deal with the extra work which decentralisation would involve.