HC Deb 27 February 1969 vol 778 cc1904-5
17. Mr. Jopling

asked the Postmaster-General what progress he is making in improving the efficiency of the second-class letter post.

Mr. Stonehouse

Ninety-four per cent. of second-class mail is being delivered by two days after posting. This is well above target.

Mr. Jopling

There is still a large volume of protest in the country at the inefficiency of the system. Is not the Postmaster-General thoroughly dissatisfied about the feeling in the country that the postal service has "gone to the dogs" over the past year?

Mr. Stonehouse

In this respect, Westmorland is well behind the rest of the country because of the mileages involved, but more and more people are appreciating the efficiency of the postal service, and two-tier in particular, because we are demonstrating that about 94 per cent. of second-class mail—the subject of the Question—can be delivered within two days and many of it on the day after posting. This is a very good result. It is about time that certain hon. Members opposite stopped slamming the postal service, which is the best in the world.

Mr. Dobson

Is not my right hon. Friend astonished at the attitude of hon. Members opposite on this question? Can he bring them to understand once and for all that the second-class service means delivery on the second day after posting, or even the first day, and not the next day delivery which is the 5d. first-class service?

Mr. Storehouse

Yes; we have made clear that, if the poster gives priority by putting a first-class stamp on the envelope, we do our best to deliver the next day, and we are achieving that with approximately 95 per cent. of all such mail received into our hands. We give less priority to second-class mail, which means that 94 per cent. of it is delivered by the day following the delivery day of first-class mail. This is an extremely good arrangement which enables the customer to give the priority which he chooses.

Mr. Bryan

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that his counterpart in another place said that it is not so much a question of the Post Office improving the system as of the users using it properly? What did his counterpart mean by that?

Mr. Stonehouse

We are experiencing a very intelligent use of the system. The proportion of first-class mail is working out much as we expected because the public are making intelligent use of the service.