HC Deb 20 February 1952 vol 496 c211
5. Wing Commander Eric Bullus

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the volume of mail dealt with by the Post Office at Christmas, 1951, compared with Christmas, 1950, and 1949.

Mr. Gammans

During the Christmas period the estimated number of letters and parcels posted were:

Letters Parcels
1949 550,000,000 14,750,000
1950 580,000,000 14,250,000
1951 590,000,000 13,750,000

Wing Commander Bullus

While congratulating the service on the achievement, may I ask the Minister whether he will ensure that at periods of peak postal traffic the 2½d. letter will be given priority over the printed letter?

Mr. Gammans

That is a different point to the one which my hon. and gallant Friend asked, but we have had no complaints this Christmas about late deliveries in particular of the 2½d. letters.

Mrs. Jean Mann

Does the Assistant Postmaster-General not consider that the decrease shown in the number of parcels and the increase in the number of letters indicates that people were very hard-up at Christmas, 1951?

Mr. Gammans

If the hon. Lady wishes to take that as a criterion of being hard-up, she may note that the decrease in parcels in the previous year was even greater.