§ Mr. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he will state how much of the net revenue of £3,032,122 derived from the combined Postal and Telegraph services for the year 1895–6 was contributed by England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively?
§ MR. HANBURYThe amount named by the hon. Member is not net revenue, as it includes work done for Government departments, in respect of which no money is received. I do not know what he means by the phrase "contributed." All that is known is the amount "collected" in any country and the amount "expended" in such country, but the amount collected does not bear any necessary proportion to the amount actually expended. For instance, 2½d. collected for a foreign letter may represent at least 3d. expended whereas 1d. collected for an inland letter may represent much less than 1d. expended in respect thereof by the Post Office. Similarly the amounts expended in any country by the Post Office do not accurately represent the cost incurred in respect of that country. The cost of the Irish packet service for instance is all paid in London. The accounts of money collected and expended in England (including Wales) Scotland and Ireland are to be found on pp. 12 and 34 of Parliamentary Paper 336 of 1896.