§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Postmaster General if he will state how many Post Office Savings Bank depositors have been defrauded during the current year under the new system of payment on demand; and has the amount lost by such depositors been made good by the Department.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONDuring the current year, fraudulent withdrawals on demand have been made from the Savings Bank accounts of 39 depositors, the amount in each case being necessarily less than £1. The total loss was £35 8s. 7d. This has been made good by the Department, except in sixteen cases, where the depositors elected to give a discharge, the amount so made good being £21 Is. 7d. The total amount withdrawn on demand during the same period was about £1,700,000, and the number of withdrawals over 2,000,000.
§ MR. J. WARDWhen the right hon. Gentleman says the loss was made good by "the Department," does he mean the Post Office, or the Post Office officials who were unfortunate enough to make the payments?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI think in this case it was the Department, not the employees.