§ MR. PARKER (Halifax)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of money now in 1442 hand representing unclaimed creditors' dividends in bankruptcy; and what are the purposes to which these unclaimed dividends are applied.
§ The SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. KEARLEY, Devonport)The unclaimed dividends in bankruptcy amount to £752,000 of which £519,000 has been applied to the reduction of the National Debt by the cancellation of stock under the Act 32 and 33 Victoria, cap. 91, and the balance £233,000 has been handed over to the Treasury under the provisions of Section 76 of the Act 46 and 47 Victoria, cap. 52, and is invested as part of the Bankruptcy Funds Account. The dividends on the investments are carried to the Bankruptcy Fees Account, thus operating in aid of the expenses of administration which are otherwise chargeable against the fees on bankruptcy proceedings.