§ 27 and 28. Mr. WINGasked the Postmaster-General (1) if he can make a fixed charge for parcels to the men in the Navy, in order to avoid parcels being returned as insufficiently charged owing to the removal of His Majesty's ships into foreign waters; and (2) if he will issue instructions to sub-postmasters of proper charges on the presentation of parcels, thus avoiding the return of parcels as insufficiently charged, and so preventing delay and duplication of labour?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELIt is not possible to apply the inland rate universally, because payments have to be made, in many cases, to shipping companies for sea conveyance and credits have to be allowed to Colonial Administrations for handling the parcels, and the inland postage rates would not nearly cover the Department's actual disbursements. In ordinary circumstances parcels addressed to one of His Majesty's ships in foreign waters should be prepaid at the rate proper to the station on which the ship is serving. But as in 655 present conditions the senders of parecls for His Majesty's ships cannot know where the ships are, my predecessor arranged to establish a general rate for all parcels to ships in foreign waters. The scale of rates now in operation is 1s. for parcels not exceeding 3 lb., 1s. 9d. for parcels over 3 lb. but not exceeding 7 lb., and 2s. 6d. for parcels over 7 lb. but not exceeding 11 lb. In the case of parcels for ships in foreign waters which are insufficiently prepaid—for example, at the inland rate only—the instructions are that the parcels should be sent on and the deficiency on the general rate collected from the sender subsequently. Full instructions are issued to all post offices as to these regulations, but if instances have come under the hon. Member's notice in which parcels have been returned, I will make inquiry on receiving the particulars from him.