25. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give instructions that payable orders drawn on Government account are to be treated as documents issued by a public officer intended to enable a person to obtain payment from the Paymaster-General, so as to bring them within the ambit of Section 4 (2, c) of the Cheques Act, 1957.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. J. E. S. Simon)Payable orders drawn on the Paymaster-General are already within the scope of Section 4 of the Cheques Act, but this Section has no bearing on the requirement that the payee must give an effective discharge by signing such orders. As my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member on 18th March, he will keep this latter requirement under review.
Mr. Gresham CookeWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that when the Cheques Act was introduced it was envisaged that these payable orders would fall within the ordinary rule for cheques and would not require endorsement? Will he also bear in mind the waste of man-hours which there must be by the lucky recipients of Government cheques in having to sign Government cheques when they do not have to do so for commercial cheques?
§ Mr. SimonSome of these Government documents require signatures in the way that ordinary cheques do not but, as I said, my right hon. Friend is keeping the matter under review.