HL Deb 23 October 1968 vol 296 cc1472-3
LORD REDESDALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Post Office will not accept payments of bills by the Bank Giro system but state that they will accept payment by credit transfer; and what they consider is the difference between these two titles.]

LORD BOWLES

My Lords, the Post Office will accept payment by the Bank Giro system or by credit transfer, where this term is still in use. Both titles relate to the same method of payment, and the instructions on the telephone bill for payment through a customer's account are intended to cover all transfers by the use of bank credit forms.

LORD REDESDALE

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. However, I am afraid I have been informed by the Post Office that they will not accept payment of telephone bills by Bank Giro. I have this in writing and I have had telephone conversations with them. So although I am grateful to the noble Lord, I cannot agree with what he says. Would the noble Lord be good enough to look into this question of how it is that the Post Office are informing customers that they will not accept Bank Giro payments, especially systematised payments such as through the Kalamazoo systems?

LORD BOWLES

My Lords, I am quite surprised at what the noble Lord says, and no doubt he will let me have the letter from the Post Office as soon as he can after Questions. The position is that the Bank Giro system, or credit, has started fairly recently, I think in about the last year. It is advisable, when we are at the beginning of a new system like the present National Giro system, it is advisable not to have the word "Giro" twice on the payment instructions on telephone accounts. Therefore the Post Office decided not to put one of the four ways of payment on the notes on payments until a little later on, but it is going to be done quite quickly. The fact remains that the Post Office will accept Bank Giro credit payments. Perhaps the noble Lord will let me have his letter.