§ 45. Mr. Bryanasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will give a general direction that no increase in charges proposed by the Post Office consequent on the current pay claim shall be made without consultation with him.
§ Mr. StonehouseNo, Sir; the Post Office is already consulting me fully. It 27 has, moreover, a statutory duty to refer any major proposal of this kind to the Post Office Users' National Council, which can report to me if it wishes.
§ Mr. BryanDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that the recent pay settlement will put the Post Office in debt to about £30 million in a year? Secondly, will he tell us for how long he is willing to let the Post Office get into debt?
§ Mr. StonehouseAs I said in answer to an earlier Question, I am now considering with the Post Office the consequences of the recent pay awards, but I am not yet in a position to make any announcement about this consideration.
§ Mr. LubbockThe right hon. Gentleman, in answer to an earlier Question, said that he was not yet in a position to make a definite statement about an adjustment in charges consequent upon the introduction of decimal currency next year. Is he at least able to say, in the light of the recent pay award, whether, in particular, the 4d. and 5d. letter charges will go up or down?
§ Mr. StonehouseAs I said, I am not yet in a position to do so. I think it would be unwise for me at this stage, when I am consulting the Post Office about certain proposals that have been made, to me to make any statement.