§ 59. Mr. Murrayasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Mrs. Carter, 4, Frederick Street, South 1034 Meadowfield, County Durham, has been asked to pay 9s. to send a half-pound tin of Coronation sweets by air to her son, 22507667 Private R. Carter, 4th Platoon B Company, 1st Durham Light Infantry, British Army Post Office, 3, Korea, and that, owing to this price, this man, along with many others, will be denied such small luxuries; and whether he will make it possible for parents to send such small gifts at reasonable rates.
§ Mr. J. R. H. HutchisonThis sum of 9s. represents a considerable concession, since a similar packet sent by air at the normal rates would cost 30s. If the delay in sending the packet by sea were accepted, the cost would be only ll½d. The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes under the Forces Parcel Service provide facilities for a whole variety of gift parcels to be sent to men serving in Korea.
§ Mr. MurrayIs the Minister aware that that will give no consolation to the people in the country? I have a letter in my hand in which a woman states that she was actually asked for 25s. for sending an Easter egg to her husband. Could the hon. Gentleman's Department not show some more humanity in cases like this?
§ Mr. HutchisonAs the hon. Gentleman knows, the cost of sending parcels and mail to Korea is already very highly subsidised, and it was for that purpose that the Forces Parcels Scheme was introduced whereby an individual in this country could pay at this end and a man at the other end would get the present.
§ Mr. MurrayThis boy has never been out of his house in his life before, and yet he cannot have half a pound of Coronation sweets to celebrate the Coronation while we are spending millions of money in this country on the same kind of thing. It is absolutely ridiculous.