§ 44. Mr. HACKINGasked the Postmaster-General whether the extra precautions recently taken to safeguard mailbags during transit have had the desired effect?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Lees-Smith)The losses of mailbags are liable to marked fluctuations and until some considerable period has elapsed it will not be possible to judge of the efficiency of the special steps which have recently been taken to safeguard them against theft.
§ Mr. HACKINGAm I right in assuming that the safeguards which have been put on up to now have had no effect?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHI have explained that, as the process was not completed and the final step was not taken until two days ago, it would be premature for me to make any statement.
§ Mr. HACKINGHas there been less or greater pilfering in recent months?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHOn the whole, in the case of particular packets that were seized, namely, bankers' remittances, there has been considerably less.
§ Mr. LEIF JONESIs not the number of packets lost exceedingly small compared with the total number handled?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHYes, Sir. There are less than 50 thefts each year out of 40,000,000 packets carried.