§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether, under the Post Office Regulations, a person residing in the provinces is compelled, if he wish to have his own postcards stamped, either to attend personally in London for the purposes of witnessing the operation of stamping, and of paying in cash the charge for that operation, or to engage an agent in London so to attend in person; and whether he can see his way to relieve persons resident in the country from the obligation alluded to, and to accept postal orders in payment of the said charge for stamping?
§ * THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES,) University of CambridgeIt is not required that persons wishing to have their own postcards stamped should attend, either in person or by an agent, to witness the operation of stamping. They must, however, if resident in London, deliver the material and pay the duty and stamping fees at Somerset House, and on the completion of the stamping must fetch away the stamped cardboard. As regards persons resident in the provinces, there are seven provincial centres at which the duty and stamping fees can be paid to the local collector of Inland Revenue, after which the owners are required themselves to forward the material to Somerset House, whence, after the completion of the stamping, it is returned direct to them, they bearing the cost of carriage in both directions. Persons resident elsewhere than in London or at one of the seven provincial centres referred to must arrange for the payment of the duty and fees and for the delivery and collection of the material through an agent in London. I do not myself see why payments by money orders or postal orders, as suggested by the hon. Member, should not be accepted, the owners of the material in such cases bearing, of course, the cost of carrying it to and fro; but he will perhaps inquire of the Board of Inland Revenue whether they will accept payments in this manner.
§ MR. H. HEATONWill the right hon. Gentleman communicate with the Board of Inland Revenue in order to correct this abuse or grievance?
§ * MR. RAIKESIt is not in my Department, and I should not like to deprive the Board of Inland Revenue of the pleasure of communicating with the hon. Gentleman.