§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the Postmaster-General whether he will state the total amount of Irish Savings Bank withdrawals for the last annual period for which the figures are available; the total amount of Irish withdrawals of one pound and under for the same period; and the number of complaints received from depositors in Ireland during the same period in respect to the inconvenience caused to them 773 by having to send their deposit books to London for examination on every occassion when they withdrew amounts of one pound or under.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The total amount of the Post Office Savings Bank withdrawals in Ireland during the year ended December 31st, 1906 (the last annual period for which the figures are available), was £2,209,846. Of this amount it is estimated that about £144,000 was withdrawn "on demand" in sums of £1 and under. No complaints appear to have been received from depositors in Ireland of inconvenience occasioned to them by the rule which requires that the deposit book shall be sent to London on each occasion of a withdrawal "on demand."