HC Deb 21 February 1946 vol 419 cc1290-1
41. Mr. William Shepherd

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will state the average time taken for delivery of inland telegrams in 1939 and the present average time.

Mr. Burke

Before the war the average time taken between the handing in of a telegram by the sender and its despatch by messenger from the delivery office to the addressee was just over 30 minutes; it is now about 70 minutes. The time taken by the messenger to deliver the telegram depends, of course, on the distance from the delivery office to the addressee's house.

Mr. Shepherd

Is the Minister aware that I have recently sent two telegrams, one on a priority, taking 28 hours, which the messenger boy pushed through the letter box without knocking at the door; the other, sent three weeks ago, which has not yet been delivered?

Mr. Burke

I shall be very glad to look into any particular case.

Sir G. Fox

Is the Minister aware that telegrams in my constituency are not delivered at all?