§ 37. Mr. Ian Gilmourasked the Postmaster-General what increases will be required in postage rates during 1969 resulting from the fall in revenue following the introduction of the 2-tier post.
§ Mr. StonehouseI have none in mind
§ Mr. GilmourWhile I welcome that assurance, if it is one—and it will not be forgotten—may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to undertake that no increase in the price will be made as a result of a decline in the standard of service?
§ Mr. StonehouseI am not proposing in any way to reduce the standard of service, of which we are rightly proud I do not think that the two-tier system has been a financial failure. What happened is that, particularly during the Christmas period, traffic dropped rather more than we expected. I hope that we can make this up before the end of the year.
§ Sir A. V. HarveyCan the right hon. Gentleman given an assurance that there will be no general increase in Post Office charges before the General Election?
§ Mr. StonehouseWhat I have been asked and what I have said is that there will be no increase in postage rates during the next financial year.