§ MR. FINDLATERasked the Postmaster General, When the Contract for the Mails between London and Dublin will be renewed; whether he will secure, under the new Contract, such acceleration of the service as will enable persons in the provinces in Ireland to answer letters from London by the same day's mail from Dublin; and, whether the terms of the Contract will be laid before Parliament before their final ratification?
§ MR. FAWCETTSir, the contract is still in force, and can be terminated only on 12 months' notice. Such notice has not yet been given, although tenders for the sea service have been called for with a view to the question being considered. While in some parts of Ireland letters from London can already be answered by return of post, it would not, in any circumstances, be possible to secure the same advantage to all parts of Ireland; but the question of acceleration referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for Monaghan shall not be lost sight of. As in the case of all contracts for sea service for a term of years, it will be necessary that a new contract for the Irish mail service should be laid before Parliament for ratification.