HC Deb 05 April 1939 vol 345 c2779
58. Mr. Rhys Davies

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can state for each of the last five years the percentage of the total Post Office revenue attributed to football pools transactions and associated business?

The Assistant Postmaster-General (Sir Walter Womersley)

The percentages are as follow:

1934–35 … … … 1.4
1935–36 … … … 2.7
1936–37 … … … 2.9
1937–38 … … … 3.2
1938–39 … … … 3.5

Mr. Davies

May I ask whether, in arriving at those percentages, the hon. Gentleman included anything other than the amount paid for postal orders for this purpose?

Sir W. Womersley

In arriving at these figures I took into account the halfpenny stamps on the letters, the poundage on the postal orders, and also the poundage on the postal orders that were sent to the winners, but I may say to my right hon. Friend that these figures represent gross and not net revenue. If I give him figures which showed also the cost of carrying on the service, they would be very much smaller than those I have just given.