HC Deb 12 May 1887 vol 314 cc1682-3
MR. M. J. KENNY (Tyrone, Mid)

asked the Postmaster General, If his attention has been directed to the unsatisfactory postal arrangements at present existing at Fintona, County Tyrone; if the latest hour for posting letters is 6.50 p.m., although a train carrying the mails from surrounding towns passes Fintona without stopping at 10 p.m.; and whether he will in future cause the mails to be despatched by this train; if it is a fact that the latest hour for posting English letters is 10.30 a.m., although a train passes through Fintona at 2 p.m., connecting at Omagh with the regular English mail train; and, whether he will cause the incoming mails to be delivered at Fintona by the train which now passes that town without stopping at 3 a.m., but which carries the incoming mails to other towns further on?

THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)

My attention had not been previously directed to the postal arrangements at Fintona as unsatisfactory. The letter box closes for the night mail as late as 6.40 p.m., the mail bag being despatched to Omagh by the 7.10 p.m. train. The arrival of the night mail in the morning is by the train due at 8.35 a.m. The trains to which the hon. Member refers as passing through Fintona at about 10 p.m. and about 3 a.m. respectively are trains recently put on for the conveyance of the Enniskillen night mail; and it seems to me unnecessary, considering the amount of correspondence from Fintona, to make special arrangements, and to incur additional expense, in order to give the very late despatch and the very early arrival now suggested. The day mail at present leaves Fintona at 10.30 a.m., so as to be available, not only for English letters, but for the down day mail from Omagh for Londonderry, and it is undesirable to withdraw the despatch at 10.30 a.m. Inquiry is, however, being made whether an additional despatch for the English letters from Fintona can be made by the train at 2 p.m.; and on receiving a Report on this point I will communicate further with the hon. Member.