HC Deb 02 August 1976 vol 916 cc1187-8
3. Mr. Newton

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he next intends to meet the Chairman of the Post Office.

10. Mr. Mawby

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he last met the Chairman of the Post Office.

The Minister of State, Department of Industry (Mr. Gerald Kaufman)

My right hon. Friend and I regularly meet the Chairman of the Post Office.

Mr. Newton

Is the Minister satisfied that the Post Office results are within the terms of the Price Code? When he next meets the Chairman of the Post Office Corporation, will he invite him to give back to the public at least some small part of the profits, in the form of a restoration of Sunday services?

Mr. Kaufman

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement that my right hon. Friend made with regard to the Price Code. As for giving back money as a result of the profit made, when the hon. Gentleman advises private enterprise that whenever it makes a profit it should hand part of it back I shall take him seriously, but his party has been consistently demanding realistic pricing by the Post Office. Now that the Post Office is moving towards realistic pricing, the hon. Gentleman wants to damage it.

Mr. Roy Hughes

On the question of Sunday collections, will my hon. Friend bear in mind that not only families in their personal correspondence have been badly affected but also one-man businesses, which invariably deal with their accounts and correspondence over the weekend?

Mr. Kaufman

That is why the Post Office has promised to review the question of Sunday collections within a year of the decision.

Mr. Mawby

When the Minister next sees Sir William, will he ask him whether he believes that the movement of second-class local post to a distant sorting office and back again makes economic sense, or is it a way of wasting time in order to induce people to use the first-class post?

Mr. Kaufman

I shall certainly raise matters of that kind with Sir William when I next see him. If the hon. Gentleman has a particular case in mind, I shall be very glad to refer it to Sir William.