§ Sir L. Lyleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of small capitalists who now have investments in any of the savings movements of the country?
§ Sir K. WoodI append figures showing the numbers of persons with an interest in the various forms of "small savings" enumerated in my reply of 6th July to1818W my hon. Friend the Member for Chislehurst (Sir W. Smithers). It is hardly necessary for me to point out that the same person may have an interest in more than one form of saving.
TABLE Date. Number of Persons(approx.) National Savings Certificates, holders, 30th June, 1943 16,500,000 3 per Cent. Defence Bonds: holders, 30th June 1943 1,500,000 Post Office Savings Bank depositors, 30th June, 1943 16,750,000 Trustee Savings Bank depositors: in Ordinary Departments, 30th June, 1943 3,300,000 in Special Investment Departments, 30th June, 1943 360,000 (NOTE.—All depositors in Special Investments Departments are also depositors in Ordinary Departments.) Holders of Stock (other than 3 per Cent. Defence Bonds) on Post Office and Trustee Savings Banks Stock Register 1,500,000 Birmingham Municipal Bank: depositors, 31st June, 1943 537,000 Building Societies: Shareholders, 31st Dec, 1942 2,010,000 Depositors 31st June, 1942 756,000 Industiral and Provident Societies: Shareholders, 31st Dec, 1941 9,982,000 Societies Registered under the Friendly Societies Acts: Members, 31st Dec., 1941 9,509,000 Registered Trade Unions: members, 31st Dec., 1941 5,981,000 Railway Savings Banks: depositors, 31st Dec., 1941 187,000 Industrial Assurance Companies and Societies. The number of policies is about 106,716,000. The number of insurers is not available, but may be very approximately estimated on the assumption that each insurer holds an average of three policies.