§ MR. LEHMANN (Leicestershire, Market Harborough)To ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that on 1st January Mr. J. H. Moore, of 7, Silver Street, Gainsborough, posted to the local vaccination authority of that place a declaration of conscientious objection, but omitted to stamp it, in the belief that it would go free, being marked O.H.M.S.; that this was surcharged and that the vaccination officer refused to accept it; that Mr. Moore did not receive it again from the Post Office authorities, and is consequently threatened with prosecution under the Vaccination Acts; and will he give instructions to all post offices in England and Wales that declarations of conscientious objection found in the Returned Letter Office shall be returned to the senders, whether the letter bears a ½d. stamp or not.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The packet to which the hon. Member refers should have been prepaid ½d. As it was refused by the addressee it was, no doubt, disposed of at the office of destination in accordance with the regulations respecting undelivered ½d. packets. The sender of any ½d. packet may secure its return to him in case of non-delivery by printing or writing his name and address, with a request for return, on the outside of the packet. In view of the practical difficulty in affording exceptional treatment to any particular class of packet bearing no such request, I am sorry that I do not see my way to giving instructions for the special selection for return of deck rations of conscientious objection to vaccination.