§ Lord APSLEYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received any information showing that National Savings stamps are being offered potential subscribers to newspapers and, if so, to what extent this practice prevails; and what is the attitude of his Department on the subject?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMy attention has been called to an offer of this nature made by a newspaper in Bristol; so far as I am aware this is the only case in which National Savings stamps have been used by a newspaper for this purpose. As the stamps are on sale at all Post Offices, I am not in a position to control the use made of them nor am I in a position to say how far the scheme has conduced to the use of the stamps for the purchase of National Savings certificates or for opening a savings bank account. I do not, however, regard such a use of the savings stamps as desirable and if the practice develops it may be necessary to consider the question of imposing restrictions.