HC Deb 24 January 1978 vol 942 cc524-5W
Mr. Wrigglesworth

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff at the National Savings Bank have been employed in operating ordinary accounts over each of the last 10 years;

(2) how many staff at the National Savings Bank have been employed in operating investment accounts over each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Denzil Davies

The numbers of staff directly employed in operating National Savings Bank ordinary and investment accounts and indirectly as an apportionment of accounting functions and other services common to both facilities are:

At 31st March Ordinary Accounts Investment Accounts
1968 8,676 116
1969 8,679 133
1970 8,478 207
1971 8,554 297
1972 8,200 337
1973 7,443 359
1974 6,966 379
1975 6,550 392
1976 6,210 456
1977 5,037 541

Mr. Wrigglesworth

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what were the total balances held in National Savings Bank investment accounts and ordinary accounts, respectively, in each of the last 10 years;

(2) how many National Savings Bank investment accounts have been opened and how many closed in each of the last 10 years; and what was the number remaining at the end of each year;

INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS
Financial year ended 31st March New accounts opened Accounts closed Number remaining open at year end Balance held at year end
millions millions millions £ million
1968 0.17 0.02 0.37 140.2
1969 0.18 0.04 0.51 208.3
1970 0.15 0.06 0.60 259.7
1971 0.11 0.06 0.65 322.5
1972 0.12 0.07 0.70 405.7
1973 0.17 0.07 0.80 528.8
1974 0.11 0.10 0.81 551.5
1975 0.11 0.11 0.81 581.2
1976 0.12 0.10 0.83 633.7
1977 0.12 0.09 0.86 671.3
31st December 1977* 1.00 1,350.0
* Provisional.

ORDINARY ACCOUNTS
Financial year ended 31st March New accounts opened Accounts closed or withdrawn as inactive* Number of active accounts remaining at year end Balance held at year end
millions millions millions £ millions
1968 1.39 2.50 21.82 1,664.2
1969 1.40 1.69 21.53 1,589.9
1970 1.33 1.45 21.41 1,497.6
1971 1.22 1.66 20.97 1,474.7
1972 1.56 0.93 21.60 1,475.8
1973 1.72 3.23 20.09 1,517.7
1974 1.62 10.8 20.63 1,534.2
1975 1.19 0.89 20.93 1,539.9
1976 1.07 0.97 21.03 1,551.0
1977 1.23 2.55 19.71 1,548.4
30th November 1977† 19.97 1,628.6
* Accounts which have not been operated during the previous 5 years.
† Provisional.

Source of Balance: Annual Abstract 1977.