HC Deb 04 February 1942 vol 377 cc1171-2
28. Mr. Bellenger

asked the Postmaster-General what is the fee for air-mail post to military, naval and air personnel in the Far East?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

The air postage rates for correspondence for H.M. Forces in the Far East are 1s. 3d. a half-ounce for letters, and 3d. each for thin postcards. Owing to their weight in relation to the limited aircraft capacity available for mails, the letters have to be conveyed part of the way by surface route, but the thin postcards are normally conveyed by air throughout.

Mr. Bellenger

Does my right hon. Friend realise the burden that this charge entails upon a large number of relatives who want to correspond with their people in the Far East; and is it not possible to reduce the charge even if it means laying a charge upon the inflated profits of his Department?

Mr. Morrison

The charge is a high one, but the capacity for carrying air mail is so limited that the charge has to be high. There would be no point in reducing the charge if it led to such a volume of air mail correspondence that it could not be carried by air.

Mr. Bellenger

Would not an alternative be to set up a similar system to that which is operating for the Middle East, the air-graph sysem?

Mr. Morrison

The postcard is available now and it is flown the whole way for 3d. The question of setting up an airgraph service is well in hand.