§ MR. WILLIAM RUTHERFORDI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the fact that, arising out of the number of new Members in the present House of Commons, and the amount of correspondence requiring to be dealt with by the postal staff at the Members' post office in the House, delays have arisen in such post office, and it has recently become impossible to get the morning letters for Members at such post office before half-past ten o'clock in the morning; and whether he would be prepared to make some arrangements with a view to obviating this inconvenience.
†See (4) Debates, cliv.,218.
§ MR. BRIGG (Yorkshire, W.R., Keighley)I beg also to ask the Postmaster-General if, without making any important structural alterations in the post office in the Members' Lobby, he could, at an early date, arrange to give more accommodation at the windows, so as to facilitate the delivery of letters and the transaction of the other business of Members.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarThe First Commissioner and I have together carefully considered the question of the House of Commons Post Office accommodation. It does not appear to be possible to make any important structural alterations which would improve the accommodation; and in any case, these could not be done while Parliament is sitting. We have, however, arranged to move the post box from its present position, and to place it in the corner of the Lobby. The space thus vacated will be utilised as an additional window of access for Members to the post office. In addition, a considerably larger number of pigeon holes will be erected inside the office, so as to expedite the sorting and delivery of letters to Members. These alterations will be carried out by my right hon. friend during the Easter Recess. Further, it has been arranged that a considerable portion of the sorting of the heavier packets shall be done in the outer office, instead of in the office in the Members' Lobby. Then, in order to relieve the accumulating congestion of letters and packets, which greatly hampers the work of the office, I have authorised the re-addressing of parcels without charge so that each day the post office will be cleared of them. I hope that these and other small changes will facilitate the delivery of letters and the transaction of the business of Members with the post office.