§ 17. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Postmaster-General what representations he has received regarding the impact of the increase in charges for postal delivery of newspapers on scattered rural communities and on provincial newspapers generally.
§ 60 and 61. Mr. Nobleasked the Postmaster-General (1) what representations he has had, apart from those from the Oban Times, on the effect of the increased postal charges on local newspapers;
§ (2) if he will take into account the effect which the increased postal charges on local newspapers will have in forcing amalgamations, take-over or bankruptcies in the Press; and whether he will consider special measures of relief.
498§ 62. Mr. MacArthurasked the Postmaster-General what action he will take to help those people in rural districts who have their newspaper delivered by the local postman on his morning round, in view of the fact that a recent General Post Office leaflet indicates that the cost of delivering a single newspaper daily is soon to be increased from 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. a week, an extra charge which represents a burden for pensioners and others who are unable to collect their morning paper from the village shop.
§ Mr. BennI have had representations from ten hon. Members and eight other persons or organisations. While I understand the points that have been made and in particular the views of those living in rural areas who will have to pay more to get their newspapers, a subsidy by other users of the postal services would not be justified and I am sorry I cannot modify the new charges for newspapers sent by post which even then will not pay the full cost of the service.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in many cases this increase will amount to 100 per cent. for the users of the service? Would he consider whether it might not be possible to divert some of the money now being squandered on B.B.C.2, a service which these areas cannot receive and which, judging from the response to the service in the London area, they will never want to receive, in order to subsidise services which they badly need?
§ Mr. BennAs the hon. Gentleman knows, that proposal is totally impracticable. The position is that the newspaper service was losing £2 million or more, and still is, because the new charges have not come into force. Even with the new charges, it is still expected to lose, for there has not been a full recovery of this loss. It costs much more to deliver letters to people living in rural areas than to those in urban areas. It would be quite wrong to depart from the principle of a standard rate of postage as between rural and urban areas, because if that were to be done, in the end the rural areas would suffer much more.
§ Mr. JoplingIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the crippling effect which these charges have had on some local 499 newspapers? Is he aware of the very great social services provided by the newspapers in rural districts in my constituency, for example? Is he aware that one newspaper in particular, with a circulation of 17,000 copies a week, sends no fewer than more than 2,000 through the post and that these charges, now to be between 9d. and 10d. a copy, will have a serious effect on the newspapers and on the people in rural districts?
§ Mr. BennThe decision which I had to take, and which the House would have to take, was whether it was right that general users of the postal services should subsidise the distribution of rural newspapers. Allowing for the fact that the new charges still do not cover the full cost and the fact that rural deliveries in any case are far more expensive than urban deliveries, I think that I have reached the right decision.
§ Mr. ManuelIs my right hon. Friend aware that much greater hardship was inflicted on scattered rural communities by the withdrawal of British Road Services by hon. Members opposite.
§ Mr. SpeakerThat does not arise.