§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)To ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the number of thefts of letters registered and otherwise despatched from this country to Spain; whether he has communicated these complaints to the Spanish postal authorities; and, if so, with what result; and whether he has paid compensation for registered letters despatched to Spain and which were not delivered; and, if not, will he do so.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) All complaints of the loss of registered or other letters despatched hence to Spain are duly communicated to the Spanish Post Office; and every endeavour is made to clear them up. In five cases during the last twelve months registered packets sent to Spain were proved not to have been delivered. Three of these were sample packets, and were seized by the Spanish Customs authorities because the addressees refused to pay the duty levied on them. The Spanish Post Office authorised payment of compensation, i.e., the prescribed postal union indemnity of 50 francs, to the senders in the other two cases.