§ 18. Mr. Simmonsasked the Assistant Postmaster-General why letters arriving in the Palace of Westminster from Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, carry the postmark of Dudley, which is in Worcestershire.
§ Mr. GammansIt would be uneconomic to keep open the local sorting office in Brierley Hill after 3.0 p.m., and letters posted in the district after that time are, therefore, taken into the Dudley office for postmarking and despatch.
§ Mr. SimmonsCan the hon. Gentleman tell us whether any delay is caused by this practice? I have had many complaints, including one from a constituent of mine who sits on this side of the House. Has not a district which is approaching borough status a right to its own postmark?
§ Mr. GammansIf the hon. Member gives particulars of the delay, I shall be glad to look into them. My information is that this arrangement does not make the slightest difference in the delivery of letters.