27. Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Postmaster-General what percentage of letters bearing a 4d. stamp is now being delivered three or more days after posting.
§ Mr. StonehouseAbout 9 per cent.
§ Mr. StonehouseNo, Sir. There are, of course, reasons relating to distance and the fact that some addressees are remote, which means that some second-class mail takes longer, but as between main towns there is no particular variation.
§ Mr. LongdenIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that our postal service is becoming such that it is no longer a question of when a letter gets there but a question of whether it gets there?
§ Mr. StonehouseI completely reject that foolish suggestion. All our statistics show that our operational achievement has improved considerably, and we are providing the most reliable postal service in the world.