§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONasked the Postmaster General whether the total value of Post Office work done for other Departments, stated in the Estimates at about £400,000, includes the cost of free money orders issued for Inland Revenue purposes, and the services rendered in recovering revenue; and what is the estimated value of the postal services performed for the Inland Revenue Department for the current year, including the free money orders, which for the nine months ending 31st December last exceeded a quarter of a million?
§ *SIR H. MAXWELLIn the absence of my right hon. Friend the Postmaster General, I will answer the question. It is presumed my hon. Friend refers to the sum of £366,000 on page 113 of the Estimates for the current year, which is the Estimate of the cost of the conveyance of letters and parcels only. If he will refer to the page quoted he will see that £171,700 is the estimated cost of the correspondence of the Post Office. If that be deducted from the total, it will be seen that the value of conveyance for other Departments is not £400,000, but about £195,000. This does not include the cost of money orders issued for Inland Revenue purposes, or of any other service than the conveyance of official correspondence and parcels. The estimated value of the postal services performed for the Inland Revenue Department, including the cost of official money orders, is £115,000.