§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)To ask the Postmaster-General what is the amount approximately of the unclaimed balances in the books of the Post Office Savings Bank; when was the last account of these unclaimed balances presented to the public; and whether, having regard to the amount of money unclaimed and never likely to be claimed in Post Office investments, any, and, if so, what plan has been made for its disposition to the public use.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton). The approximate total of the unclaimed balances standing to the credit of depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank could only be ascertained by a detailed examination of the ledgers, and I do not think the result would justify the labour and expense involved. No account of these balances has been published, and I am not prepared to sanction the compilation of such an account. The bank may at any time be called upon to discharge its liability in respects of deposits; and it frequently happens that a demand for repayment is made after an account has remained untouched for a considerable period.