§ 31. Mr. Masonasked the Postmaster-General if he will now make a statement on the survey of Post Office sites and buildings; and what plans he has in mind for their future.
§ Mr. BevinsI am sorry I cannot yet add to my reply of 29th June to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. MasonHow long is this going to take? The survey has now been going on for many months. When can the Minister give us an idea of exactly what he has in mind, and especially how far this will help the Post Office when the survey is complete?
§ Mr. BevinsWhat I have in mind in this connection is to make the Post Office more commercial, and to treat Post Office freeholds as a commercial concern would treat them. The conclusions of the pilot survey, which I started three or four months ago, suggest that there is scope for a greater exploitation of our freeholds, and I am sure that we shall be able to make something of them. I can assure the hon. Member that this is very high on my list of priorities.