§ 66. Captain BRASSasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the distinction drawn by his Department between members of Has Majesty's Navy serving in foreign waters (for example, in the Persian Gulf) and members of His Majesty's Army and Air Force on foreign service (for example, in Iraq) whereby the former can receive letters at lid. for the first ounce and ld. thereafter, while letters addressed to the latter are charged at the ordinary civil rate of 2½d. for the first ounce and l½d. thereafter; and whether he can see his way to arrange for members of His Majesty's Army and Air Force on foreign service to be treated in the same way as members of His Majesty's Navy?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI regret that I am not in a position to adopt my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion. Letters addressed to the Army and Air Force in Iraq are delivered through the civil Post Office and are therefore subject to the same rates and conditions as civil correspondence. The Iraq administration has not adopted Imperial postage rates, and the foreign rate therefore applies. Letters for His Majesty's ships abroad are, under a special arrangement embodied in the International Convention of the Postal Union, conveyed in direct bags for the various ships, which undertake the duty of delivery, and the Imperial rate can thus be applied to them wherever the ships may be stationed.
§ Captain BRASSWould the Postmaster-General inform the public of this distinction, because a number of letters addressed to officers and men in the Air Force at Iraq have had to pay a great deal of extra postage?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONAll the relevant information is set out in a special section of the "Postal Guide." I should acid, perhaps, in order to make it clear to my hon. and gallant Friend that troops in any part of the Empire other than Iraq get the benefit of the Imperial rate.