§ MR. KEAY (Elgin and Nairn)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether his attention has been directed to the insufficiency of the postal arrangements and accommodation at Barra, during the fishing season, when upwards of 5,000 persons are collected there; whether he is aware that all letters have to be called for at the post office by the public, while the space available for them inside the office is stated to be only 12 feet by 3 feet 6 inches, and that, consequently, many persons have frequently to wait for an hour or two before they can get inside to receive their letters; whether he will consider the advisability of having the letters delivered at the stations of the respective curers, in whose employment the bulk of the fishing population are, and to whose care their letters are generally addressed; and if he is aware that such delivery would only cost the Postal Department about 12s. a week during the eight weeks in the year.
§ * MR. RAIKESYes, Sir. My attention has been directed to this matter. A delivery by postman is made in the village of Castlebay (Barra) throughout the year, and the letters called for at the post office are mainly those for the fishing population stationed there during the months of May and June. Some time ago alterations were made at the 1683 local post office, which have facilitated the transaction of postal telegraph business by the public, and I am informed that there will in future be no difficulty in promptly distributing the letters called for. A special delivery at the curing stations could be provided for at the rate mentioned by the hon. Member, but seeing that the cost of the postal service to Barra is already five times the revenue produced by the correspondence, I regret that I do not feel justified in further increasing the expenditure.