§ LORD WOOLTONMy Lords, I beg to put the following question, of which I have given private notice, namely, to ask His Majesty's Government whether it is proposed to issue a series of commemorative postage stamps in connexion with the forthcoming celebration of the Victory holiday.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL)My Lords, I am extremely obliged to the noble Lord opposite for rendering yet another service to the Post Office by asking me this question. His Majesty's Government propose that a special commemorative issue of postage stamps shall be made in connexion with the forthcoming Victory celebrations. Our manufacturing resources, and the time available, are severely limiting factors. But I intend to issue one, and if time permits, two commemorative stamps of the lower denominations for inland and Imperial letters, and foreign letters, respectively. This will provide for the great majority of inland and overseas letters. In order to give scope for a worthy design the stamps will be of double size, that is, the equivalent of two of the current stamps side by side. A number of artists have been invited to submit designs, and they have been asked to emphasize peace and reconstruction in their designs rather than victory in war. I am in consultation with the Council of Industrial Design, and it is my intention also to seek the co-operation of the Royal Fine Art Commission and the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland in choosing the final designs for submission to His Majesty.
§ LORD WOOLTONI am very much obliged to the noble Earl, and I am sure it will be a great gratification to those who are interested in design to see that he has taken so much pains to see that the stamps should be worthy of the occasion.