§ 58. Mr. HICKSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the criticism by the East Sussex Quarter Sessions bench of the fact that the chief registrar of the district was paying into his private account the public money of his office; whether this practice exists elsewhere; whether it is sanctioned; and, if not, w1hether he will notify all officials concerned in this work that proper accounts have to be opened for the receipt of public money?
§ Major ELLIOTMy attention has been called to the circumstances attending the prosecution of one of the clerks, not the registrar, in the District Probate Registry at Lewes, to which case I assume the hon. Member refers. The payment into his private account by this clerk of fee receipts was directly contrary to the regulations, which provide that all such receipts must be paid into the public bank account of the registry. I have no reason to suppose that such malpractices have occurred elsewhere, but the circumstances of this case are being investigated and I propose to consider whether any further safeguard can be introduced into the regulations.