§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the new system of withdrawal from the Post Office Savings Bank, under which sums not exceeding £1 are paid at any savings bank post office on the evidence of balance as disclosed in a depositor's book, affords facilities for frauds; and, seeing that it is open to a forger to open accounts at a cost of 1s. each at any of the 15,000 offices in the United Kingdom and obtain payment of £1 at any other office after having manipulated a false entry in the deposit book, will he consider the expediency of introducing, a system of payment on demand by means of withdrawal orders secured from the head office, and not on the mere evidence of balance contained in a deposit book.
LORD STANLEYThe system of withdrawals on demand of sums not exceeding £1 was introduced after full consideration of all the risks involved. If fraud were attempted, the safeguards provided, would ensure speedy detection. The system of payment by means of withdrawal orders which the hon. Member wishes to see adopted has frequently been brought under the notice of the Post Office; but in addition to the fact I that it would entail considerable expense, it is altogether unsuited to the system of account-keeping in use in the Post Office Savings Bank.
§ MR. WEIRIf the noble Lord wilt consult with his colleagues, the Attorney-General and the Home Secretary, and secure me exemption from prosecution, I shall be able to prove to him by actual 1065 experiment, that frauds under the new system of withdrawal may be successfully operated on a gigantic scale. The be called safeguard only proves a fraud has been committed, but in no way assists detection of the culprit.