HC Deb 15 October 1952 vol 505 cc179-80
15. Mr. Dodds

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what economies are in prospect in his Department to offset the rising cost of postal services, and to enable the inland postal charge to be pegged at 2½d.

Mr. Gammans

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that my noble Friend is very much alive to the need for every possible internal economy, both by increased mechanisation and by a more economical use of manpower in order to offset rising costs, but I would be misleading the House if I gave any impression that further substantial economies are possible without depriving the public of some important service which they have hitherto enjoyed. In spite of a steady rise every year in postal and telephone traffic, the Post Office has not increased its non-industrial staff during the past three years, and of the increase in costs of about £50 million in the past two years, only a half has been passed on to the public.

Mr. Dodds

Can the hon. Gentleman now give an assurance that the statement he made recently about the possibility of the letter post being the first casualty need not now be taken too seriously?

Mr. Gammans

If the hon. Gentleman chooses to find out what I did say, he will see that it was that if costs in the Post Office continued to rise their charges would rise. I should have thought that that was a platitude.

Mr. C. I. Orr-Ewing

Will my hon. Friend consider most seriously, if he has to pass on increased charges, whether he could not allow a special low rate of perhaps 2d. a letter for people who are, perhaps, suffering financial hardship and who could post early in the day and thus save themselves money and spread the postal load throughout the day?

Mr. Gammans

I do not want to give my hon. Friend any impression that increased costs are in any way inevitable. Today this country has practically the lowest postal and telephone charges in the world, and Her Majesty's Government are determined to do all in their power to see that that state of affairs continues.

Mr. Ness Edwards

Would the hon. Gentleman refuse to countenance a means test?