§ 1. Mr. CURRIEasked the Secretary of State for India whether he has sanctioned the widow of an officer, who has given his life for his country, being charged anything between £50 and £100, 950 in name of official expenses, by the Administrator-General for Madras, etc., for the mere completion of her title as executrix, apart altogether from Government duties here and in India, to a small parcel of shares in a Madras rupee company, valued for probate at £400 odd; when, if ever, the scale of official fees and costs exigible in this office were last revised; whether the India Office has any control over the charges made by the leading firms of Service bankers in London for transacting this class of business for officers or their widows or for civilians; whether delay of a year and upwards is not uncommon in the Madras Administrator-General's office; and whether he has power to restrict the official fees in the case of small estates?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Herbert Fisher)If the hon. Member will kindly let me have the name of the deceased officer to whom he refers the Secretary of State will cause inquiry to be made. The Administrator-General's commission in the case of an estate of the value of £400 would in the ordinary course be 5 per cent., or £20, and might be reduced to £10, while if the estate were that of an officer transferred to the Administrator-General under the provisions of the Regimental Debts Act the maximum commission would be 3 per cent. In addition, there would be some legal charges; but, if the officer were killed in action, there would be no Government duty on the first Rs.5,000.
The present rules were approved by the Governor of Madras an Council in 1914, and amended in 1917. The India Office has no control over the charges made by-bankers for transacting this kind of business. The period required to settle an estate would depend on the nature of the assets and liabilities. The Secretary of State is not aware that needless delay occurs. The amendment of the Rules in 1917 provided for the reduction of the Administrator-General's commission in simple cases by any part not exceeding one-half.