§ 74. Mr. PETHERICKasked the Postmaster-General whether he will make provision by which senders of letters or parcels to members of His Majesty's Forces serving in countries outside the Empire, for example, Iraq, may be allowed to despatch them with stamps affixed at the usual Imperial rates?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Sir Walter Womersley)Letters addressed to members of His Majesty's Forces serving in countries 878 outside the Empire are normally delivered through the civil Post Office of the countries concerned, and are therefore subject to the same rates of postage as civil correspondence; and I regret that I am not in a position to arrange for any reduction in the postage rates generally applicable to correspondence addressed to those countries in the case of letters of the kind referred to by the hon. Member. There is no Imperial rate for parcels. The postage is based on the actual cost of transmission, including the varying amounts which have to be paid for handling and delivery in the country of destination, and so long as these costs are incurred I am afraid it is not practicable to make any reduction.