§ MR. CROSS (Liverpool, West Derby)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he is now able to give an answer to the Petitions recently addressed to him by postmen at Liverpool and other places?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES,) Cambridge UniversityThe Memorials to which my hon. Friend refers, emanating, I think, from the postmen employed at 52 offices, were referred by me in October last to a strong Departmental Committee, who have made them the subject of exhaustive inquiry, which, owing to the number of witnesses to be examined, extended over six months. The Report of the Committee was submitted to me in April last, and as soon as I had been able to consider it with due care, I forwarded it to the Treasury on the 13th May last, together with my own recommendations as to the course to be taken. I hope, as the matter is one of the greatest importance to a very large number of deserving officers, no long time will now elapse before I am favoured with their Lordships' reply. As soon as this reaches me I can assure my hon. Friend that I shall lose no time in giving effect to it.