§ 95. Lord ROBERT CECILasked the Postmaster-General whether letters posted in France for addresses in this country by soldiers in hospital in France are carried post free; whether that is because the soldiers in hospital are treated as being on active service; whether the same privilege is not accorded in respect of letters posted by soldiers in hospital in this country; and, if so, will he say why this is not done?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Hobhouse)Letters posted by British soldiers in France addressed to this country are delivered free of charge, whether they are prepaid by stamps or not, and whether the soldiers who send them are in hospital or not. Letters posted by soldiers in this country, whether in or out of hospital, are charged the usual inland rate. The practice at home and abroad is perfectly consistent. Even if it were desirable to make a change there would be almost insuperable practical difficulties in detecting whether letters purporting to come from soldiers in hospital really did emanate from them or from persons otherwise connected with a hospital.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILIs it not the case that this House expressed a very strong view that soldiers on active service should have their letters carried free? And if a soldier is wounded at the front and placed in a military hospital here, is he not on active service?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEA soldier here, whether wounded or not, is not on active service.