§ 37. Mr. ROBERT SMITHasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the fact that businesses situated in the North-East of Scotland are hampered by the 944 lack of adequate and speedy postal communication with London and other industrial centres in England and the South of Scotland; whether this is in many cases due to the withdrawal of the sorting car between Aberdeen and Elgin; and if and when he hopes to be able to restore the running of this car?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI have no evidence that the postal arrangements in the North-East of Scotland are regarded as inadequate by the business community. The number of letters which would benefit by the restoration of sorting on the railway between Aberdeen and Elgin is quite insufficient to justify the expense which would be involved.
§ Mr. SMITHIs it not a fact that I brough, to the notice of my right hon. Friend some time ago the inadequacy of this postal service?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONYes, it is quite true, and I am very anxious to do everything that I can to meet my hon. Friend's desires, but these are all matters of relation between the amount of correspondence involved in a particular case and the general amount of correspondence.
§ Mr. SMITHIs it not a fact that the Post Office is run at a loss in certain parts of the country, and at a very great profit in others, and that it is not meant to pay all over, but is meant to be run at a loss in some parts
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThat is so.
§ Mr. BARCLAY-HARVEYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are other parts of the North-East of Scotland, and particularly of Kincardineshire, where the postal facilities leave much to be desired.