32. Mr. J. Wellsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will alter the regulations concerning Premium Bonds so that they can be held by a trustee.
Mr. WellsIs not my hon. Friend aware that a number of people hold Premium Bonds in a trustee capacity, and that should these trustees—or sham trustees—die, the Premium Bonds are aggregated to those trustees' estates, to the great inconvenience of the charitable or other bodies for whom they have been acting? Will he look into the matter again?
§ Mr. du CannI should point out that the Premium Bonds scheme was introduced with the intention of attracting a new class of small savers. In this it has been extremely successful. The expense of the scheme is justified only on that ground, and it is certainly not designed to appeal to trustees.