§ COLONEL FOSTER (Lancashire, Lancaster)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he is aware that Kirk by Lonsdale and Settle, with populations of 1,802 and 2,253 respectively, have head offices and not sub-offices; whether he 238 can state on what grounds the Postmaster General has refused the application of the Morecambe Urban District Council that Morecambe should be made a head office instead of a sub-office under Lancaster as it is at present; and, if he is aware that Morecambe has a normal population of 10,000, which is increased during the summer months to nearly 30,000?
§ MR. HANBURYIt is the fact that Kirk by Lonsdale and Settle are head post offices, while Morecambe ranks as a sub-post office under Lancaster. But the size of a town and its population are not the only conditions which have to be considered in determining the rank of a post office. The application of the Urban District Council that Morecambe should be made a head office was refused in October last on the ground that no improvement in the postal services would be gained by such a change, while additional expense would be involved; a further application from the Council has since been received, and will be considered in due course.