§ 31. Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inconvenience and hardship caused in many cases to persons sending parcels to the front owing to the postage on the same, and that the wife of a man at the front only the other day was charged 1s. for a parcel containing a shirt and a pair of pants, sent at her husband's request; and can he see his way to meeting cases of this kind by a reduction in the postal rates?
§ 29. Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the cost of postage of parcels from the people in this country to their soldier friends on active service is as much, and in many cases more, than the value of the contents; that in order to have the cost of postage commensurate with the value of the articles it is necessary to send a parcel weighing about seven pounds; whether he is aware that, from many working-class homes, the dispatch of seven-pound parcels is not practicable; and whether he can see his way in the present abnormal circumstances to make some reduction in the postage?
§ 30. Mr. NEVILLEasked the Postmaster-General whether he can see his way to reduce the rates at present charged for the postage of parcels to the Expeditionary Force to the rates at present charged for the postage of inland parcels?
§ 34. Sir CHARLES HENRYasked the Postmaster-General if he will take into consideration a revision of the postage on parcels destined for our troops serving abroad, with special reference to a reduction in the minimum charge of 1s., in view of the fact that a large number of the parcels forwarded are under three pounds in weight to which the minimum of 1s. applies?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Captain Norton)In reply to these questions, I will read to the hon. Members the answer given by my right hon. Friend to similar questions on Monday last. I cannot agree that the present rates on parcels for the troops impose a serious check on the dispatch of comforts to the Army. The Post Office is at present dispatching about 12,000 parcels a night to the Army Base Post Office in France. Any reduction of postage which resulted in a material increase in this number would frustrate its own object by increasing the difficulties already experienced by the Army Post Office in disposing of the heavy mails with which it has to deal. These comprise not only the parcels above mentioned, but also from 250,000 to 300,000 outward letters and newspapers every day. I understand that the difficulties of providing adequate transport in France are already very serious.