MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he will say how many sub-postmasters there are on the permanent staff of the Post Office; and whether they will benefit under the improved scheme resulting from the recommendations of the Tweed-mouth Committee for Postmasters?
§ MR. HANBURYIf by "permanent" the hon. Member means on the establishment and pensionable, there are only about 100 in that position, out of the 19,500 sub-postmasters in the United Kingdom; but they are all "permanent" in the sense that their services can only be dispensed with, by the direct decision of the Postmaster General. As a class they do not come under the recommendations of the Tweedmouth Committee relating to head postmasters. There are separate suggestions in the Committee's Report affecting sub-postmasters generally, and these are now under consideration.