§ Mr. BOTTOMLEYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has obtained any further information on the subject of dormant bank balances and unclaimed securities in the hands of the bankers of the United Kingdom; and whether he is prepared to move for the appointment of a Select Committee to investigate the whole subject?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. My right hon. Friend does not think there are grounds for the appointment of a Select Committee to investigate the matter.
§ Mr. REESasked the right hon. Gentleman whether the amount of dormant bank balances and unclaimed securities in the hands of bankers in the United Kingdom has been exaggerated; and whether he will cause some preliminary inquiry to be made before appointing a Select Committee?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI must refer the hon. Member to the reply which I have just given to the hon. Member for South Hackney.
§ Mr. BOTTOMLEYMay I ask upon what data the right hon. Gentleman bases his opinion that there is no ground for an inquiry into this question, and by whom the amount of the unclaimed balances has been exaggerated?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEMy right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has expressed his opinion on this question upon more than one occasion, and that opinion I now repeat on his behalf.
§ Mr. BOTTOMLEYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has promised a Committee, bar accidents, early next year?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSENo; I am not aware of that fact. Probably the accident has intervened.
§ Mr. REESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the case of one private bank, which formed the subject of the hon. Member for Hackney's speech in introducing his Bill, it has already been ascertained that the amount of the unclaimed balances and deposits has been enormously exaggerated?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must put that question down on the Paper.