§ 15. Mr. Mawbyasked the Postmaster-General whether he will make a statement on the progress of the Giro service.
§ 20. Sir B. Rhys Williamsasked the Postmaster-General when he now expects the Post Office Giro to become fully operative; how many post offices will be able to offer Giro services; and how many transactions daily he expects to handle.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterThe arrangements for setting up the national Giro service continue to make progress and I expect the service to begin in the autumn of this year, as planned. All but the very smallest post offices will handle the full range of Giro business which I estimate will produce about a million transactions a day within a year after opening.
§ Mr. MawbyIs the hon. Gentleman still satisfied that he will be able to run this service without making a charge to the customer?
§ Mr. SlaterYes, Sir.
§ Sir B. Rhys WilliamsWill employers be encouraged to use the Giro for payment of wages? Will it be possible to use the Giro for Income Tax purposes?
§ Mr. SlaterYes, Sir.