§ 36. Colonel PERKINSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the local inconvenience caused, he will consider the reopening of the local stamp office at Southampton; whether local opinion was ever consulted before this office was closed; and whether he will state the amount of public money which was saved by closing it
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe decision to withdraw local stamping facilities from those towns in which the volume of the work was insufficient to justify the employment of a full-time staff was made in the interests of national economy and I regret I am unable to reverse it. In the case of Southampton, the fullest consideration was given to the views of local representative bodies before the decision was made operative. The annual saving effected by the closing of the Southampton office is £842.