§ 1. Brigadier Raynerasked the Postmaster-General how many applications were made by the Customs authorities in each of the years 1946–49 to officials of his Department for the opening of letters addressed to Commonwealth countries; what proportion of the total letter mail the figures represented; and what was the average of annual requests before the war.
§ The Postmaster-General (Mr. Ness Edwards)No record is kept of requests from the Customs authorities for the opening of outgoing letters for Customs or exchange control purposes. There were no such requests before the war.
§ Mr. PickthornDoes that answer mean that there never has been any question of keeping this record, and ought it not to be considered whether there should not be such a record kept from year to year?
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsI think that the Treasury would be the appropriate Department to which to address that question.
§ Brigadier RaynerDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that there has been a considerable correspondence in Dominion newspapers about this censorship, which is creating a bad impression, and will he use his influence, as far as he can, to moderate it?
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsI can assure the hon. and gallant Member that there is no censorship as such. This practice was introduced in 1941—I think, with the support of the hon. and gallant Member—and it has been continued for exchange control purposes.