§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the registration fee for letters despatched from Egypt to the United Kingdom is 2 ½d. (one p. t.), whereas that for letters despatched from the United Kingdom to Egypt is only 2d.; what was the number of letters registered in Egypt for transmission to the United Kingdom during the year 1906; is the extra charge retained by the Egyptian Postal Administration, or is it divided, and in what proportions, between the countries through which registered letters from Egypt to the United Kingdom are transmitted; and whether, seeing that the net revenue of the Postal Department for the year 1906 is approximately £E2-40,000, an increase of £E34,000 over the previous year, and is estimated at £E260,000 for 1907, he will advise the Egyptian Government to equalise the rate of postage between the countries above named.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYI will inquire as to the facts. Reductions of postage are always welcome, but I cannot promise to ask the Egyptian Government to make a sacrifice of revenue without knowing 1229 what other considerations may be involved.