§ 30. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Postmaster-General, with reference to the doubling of the French postage to this country to 50 centimes, on what principle the recipient of a letter is charged 5d. when the old stamp of 25 centimes is affixed, leaving an insufficient postage of 25 centimes?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Pike Pease)Insufficiently paid correspondence is subject under the regulations of the universal postal union to a surcharge on delivery of double the amount of the deficiency. Surcharges raised on foreign correspondence are provisionally being converted into British currency at the par rate; but the question of adopting a different method is under consideration.
§ Commander BELLAIRSWho gets the benefit of this extortion by which the surcharge is doubled, and charged at the old rate of exchange before the War?
§ Mr. PEASEThe money collected in this country goes to this country. With regard to the exchange, at the present time it is a very complicated question. As my hon. and gallant Friend probably knows, quite recently this question has been debated for a long time, and this is only a Provisional Order.
§ Commander BELLAIRSIs it not obvious, for instance in the case of Germany, that the Germans could heavily penalise English citizens by sending letters with insufficient postage?
§ Mr. PEASEI quite admit there is good ground for considering the point which the hon. and gallant Gentleman has brought to my notice. Of course, this is only a Provisional Order at the present moment.