§ 14. Mr. E. Johnsonasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that letters sent by the evening post from Chester and from Manchester frequently do not reach the House of Commons or addresses in London, W.1, by first post the following morning; and what steps he is taking to improve these services.
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Miss Mervyn Pike)I very much regret that owing to the late running of trains some letters for London posted in Chester and Manchester have been delayed in delivery. The railways are doing their best to improve the timekeeping of the mail trains, but I understand that, while modernisation work proceeds, some delays are unavoidable. I am having the mail connections from Chester and Manchester examined to see whether any improvements can be effected by re-routing or other changes.
§ Mr. JohnsonWhile appreciating the efforts which have been made to improve postal services, may I ask my hon. Friend whether she is aware that it frequently takes a letter from Chester or Manchester longer to reach its destination in London than it used to take a letter to cover a similar distance by pony express in the early days of the United States?
§ Miss PikeI cannot vouch for the efficiency of the pony express. I am afraid that at present trains carrying the mail from the North-West are running very late and that delays of more than an hour are all too frequent. We are doing everything we can to overcome the difficulty.