§ COLONEL LOCKWOOD (Essex, Epping)To ask the Postmaster-General whether under present arrangements for sending parcels by parcel post to China from England, they can only be insured as far as Shanghai unless forwarded by a German boat; and, if so, whether he will take steps for securing for British trade the advantage possessed by other nations.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) Parcels from this country for China sent by British packet can be insured as far; as any place at which there is a British postal agency. Such agencies are maintained at Amoy, Canton, Chefoo, Foochow, Hangkow, Hoihow, Ningpo, Shanghai, Swatow, Tientsin, and Wei-hai-wei. The only insured parcels sent by the German service are those addressed to places at which there are German agencies but no British agencies, namely, Its hang, Nanking, Peking, Tschinkiang, Tsinanfu, and Weihsien, as well as the Kiantschou Protectorate. Negotiations have already been begun with a view to the extension of the British Parcel Post arrangements with China.