§ 27. Mr. Oliverasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take steps to have reduced the cost of sending parcels by air to our Service men in Egypt, as 12s. 6d. for a parcel weighing 1½ lb. is prohibitively high.
§ Mr. HeadTo send a 1½ lb. parcel to Egypt by air costs 8s. 3d. To reduce prices would involve considerable expenditure over and above the £1¼ million a year now being spent on postal concessions. I would add that such a parcel sent by surface route would only take 18 days and cost 1s. 3d.
§ Mr. OliverDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that in many circumstances parcels must be despatched by air because they must get there within a reasonable time, and that this is a very great expense to people whose income is very limited?
§ Mr. HeadWe have done a lot about parcels during the last few months, and to make this concession would be extremely expensive. I think that, for most parcels, if they are anticipated and are sent off in good time, 18 days is not an excessive period, and the reduction in cost is immense.
§ Mr. DribergMay I ask the Minister whether Service men arriving in Egypt after the last date of posting for Christmas will be entitled to receive a free Christmas air mail parcel, as is the case in Malaya?
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonHas not the time come for a comprehensive review of all the postal arrangements relating to men serving overseas, and, if it is too expensive to make any concession regarding air mail parcels, could not the Minister consider a completely free postal service, particularly to men serving in Korea and Malaya?
§ Mr. HeadThe hon. and gallant Gentleman would be very startled if I were to tell him the cost of a completely free postal service for all Service men.