§ Mr. Ammonasked the Attorney-General whether his attention has been directed to the hardship to working-class people caused through the action of agents of companies operating the system of deferred payments, by which the heads of families become involved in debt in respect of goods of which they have no knowledge, and the further difficulty arising from summonses in respect of such debts being returnable at courts far distant from the place of residence of the defendants; and will he take whatever action is necessary to amend the law to remedy such grievances?
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe difficulty to which the hon. Member refers has recently been dealt with and I hope removed by the new County Court Rules, which came into force at the beginning of this year. When a wife contracts in the name of her husband, but without his knowledge or authority, to buy goods which are not necessaries and to pay for them by instalments, the husband has a good defence in law to a claim against him for the money due, and under the new Rules the proceedings will be in his local court, so that in future he ought to be able to defend himself against the claim.