HC Deb 30 June 1903 vol 124 cc926-8
MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the present number of Post Office Savings Bank depositors in Ireland and England respectively; and, seeing that the numbers in Ireland are smaller than those in England, and that extra delay is caused by the present system of depositors having to communicate with London and receive replies therefrom, he can explain the cause of the smaller number of Irish depositors.

The following Questions also appeared on the Paper—

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that acknowledgments and warrants for payment in connection with Irish Savings Bank accounts have to be sent from London at present, and that all inquiries have to be sent from Ireland to London to be dealt with, and that the system of keeping these accounts in London causes delay to Irish depositors, he will make arrangements for the transfer of the Irish accounts to Dublin in order to have the additional time taken in communicating with London curtailed as much as possible.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that the system of keeping Irish Savings Bank accounts in London gives rise to additional correspondence, both written and telegraphic, between the General Post Office, London, and the General Post Office, Dublin, he will state the estimated cost of this additional correspondence; and whether, with a view to economy and despatch, he will arrange for the transfer of the accounts from London to Dublin so as to avoid this additional expenditure and delay.

THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN,) Worcestershire, E

Perhaps I may answer the hon. Member's three Questions together. The present number of accounts in the Post Office Savings Bank is estimated to be as follows:—In Ireland, 433,000; in England and Wales, 8,469,000. I cannot explain the cause of the smaller ratio of depositors to population in Ireland; but there is no reason to suppose that it is due to the slightly longer time required in some cases for withdrawing money through an Irish Post Office. There is a similar discrepancy in the case of the depositors in the Trustees Savings Banks of the two countries, who are not affected by this consideration. It is more convenient and more economical to keep the Savings Bank accounts at one central institution; and greater facilities are afforded in this way for making or withdrawing deposits at any office in the United Kingdom than would be possible under the system suggested in the Question; I am therefore not prepared to take any steps in that direction. The cost of correspondence between the General Post Offices in London and Dublin about savings bank business is estimated to be about £250 a year; but the additional cost of dealing with Irish Savings Bank accounts by a special staff at Dublin would certainly be much greater than any possible saving on this sum.