§ MR. J. N. RICHARDSONasked the Postmaster General, Whether he will furnish the House with an estimate of the average number of letters which pass daily through the post office in the lobby of the House Commons during the sitting of Parliament; whether he can hold out any hope of providing such increased accommodation in that department as would conduce to the better health and comfort of the officials; and, whether in making any such alteration it would be feasible to combine the telegraph department with the post office in the inner lobby?
§ MR. FAWCETTOn a day which may fairly be taken as an average one, I find that 2,150 letters were posted in the House of Commons post office, and 3,780 were received, of which 2,860 were re-directed to Members. The question to which my hon. Friend refers, of providing better accommodation for the officers of the post office in the Lobby has frequently occupied my attention, and with that object I have been in communication with the right hon. Gentle- 1266 man in the Chair, who, I regret to say, is absent, and with my right hon. Friend the First Commissioner of Works. I regret, however, to say that up to the present it has been found impossible to provide improved accommodation in consequence of the restricted space available. A combination of the telegraph office with the post office in the inner Lobby would, in my opinion, be a most desirable arrangement, inasmuch as it would afford a very great convenience to the House generally; but the difficulty I have already alluded to has, up to the present, prevented this change from being carried out.
§ MR. RAIKESHas the right hon. Gentleman considered the possibility of taking away the private room, at present occupied by the Secretary to the Treasury, which is immediately behind the office?
§ MR. FAWCETTNo, Sir.