§ 69. Mr. TICKLERasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that a number of parcels addressed to men serving with His Majesty's ships are returned to the senders with a request for the payment of further charges on account of their ships being in foreign waters, thereby causing considerable delays and disappointment, and, owing to their being a regulation that the locality of the ships cannot be disclosed to the senders, they have no means of obtaining the necessary information to enable them to address parcels more fully; and whether he will cause a flat rate to be made for the delivery of such parcels, the same as now obtains for the parcels sent to men serving with the Expeditionary Land Forces?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Hobhouse)Such a flat rate as the hon. Member suggests is already in operation. The postage payable on parcels for His Majesty's ships in foreign waters, the locality of which is unknown to the senders, is at present 1s. for a parcel not exceeding 3 lb., 2s. for a parcel over 3 lb., but not over 7 lb., and 3s. for a parcel over 7 lb., but not over 11 lb. I am considering a reduction of the two latter rates to 1s. 9d. and 2s. 6d. respectively during the continuance of the War. In the case of insufficiently paid parcels, steps are taken to collect the amount of the deficiency from the senders; but the despatch of the parcels is not delayed for this purpose.