§ MR. CROMBIE (Kincardineshire)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether (as explained in Consular Reports, Nos. 350 and 1958) letters between England and Gbraltar, or other places in the South of Spain, still suffer 12 hours' delay in Madrid both going and coining; whether this delay could not be obviated by an adjustment of the hours of arrival and departure of mails in Madrid; and whether he will take steps to bring the matter before the Spanish postal authorities with a view of expediting communications between England and Gibraltar?
§ MR. HANBURYThe delay referred to by the honourable Member still continues. There is only one fast service in the day between Madrid and Gibraltar in each direction; and it does not connect with the fast services between Madrid and this country. The Postmaster-General has made repeated representations on the subject to the Spanish postal authorities, but without any successful results; and he fears that any further representations would be equally fruitless.