§ 47 and 48. Mr. AMMONasked the Postmaster-General (1) the estimated cost of the extended hours of opening of post offices and the amount of business during the extended hours; and whether the business transacted justifies the extra expense;
(2) whether he is aware that certain public authorities have declared that the extended hours of opening of post offices is unnecessary in their districts; and if he will take steps to act on such recommendations?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Viscount Wolmer)I regret that full information as to the cost of extending the hours of business at post offices and the amount of business transacted is not at present available. I have received one or two representations from public authorities in the sense indicated but I am not satisfied that axe use made by the public of the additional facility is insufficient to justify its continuance.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAHas this extension been made necessary by the policy of the Department, in closing subsidiary post offices.
§ Viscount WOLMERNo, Sir, it has nothing to do with that question at all. There has been a wide demand, and the Postmaster-General has been able to meet it to a certain extent.
§ Mr. AMMONDoes not the Department take account of the wishes of the local authorities in regard to the half holiday, and should not those wishes have equal weight in reference to increased hours?
§ Viscount WOLMERWe always do attach great weight to representations by local authorities. I think we only received representations from three local authorities that these extended hours were not needed.
§ Mr. FENBYWill this policy of the Department result in an earlier delivery of letters in the morning?