§ LORD WOOLTONMy Lords, I beg to put the following question of which I have given private notice, namely, to ask His Majesty's Government if they can state the improvements proposed in the postal services.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL)My Lords, I am extremely grateful to the noble Lord for the opportunity of making a statement in accordance with my undertaking of December 5th last about the improvement on the war-time postal services which I propose to effect this year. I intend, in May, with the co-operation of the railway companies, to restore seven more travelling post offices, which will enable the Post Office to guarantee de- 2 livery by first post next week-day anywhere in England and Wales of correspondence posted in London in time for the 4 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. collections. Posting times will also be improved in other parts of the country for delivery by first post on the following week-day. In October, I intend practically to complete the restoration of the network of night travelling post offices which will give a posting time of 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. in London for delivery by first post next week-day. Posting times will also be improved further in other parts of the country.
I also intend with the further co-operation of the railway companies, to make a start in May with scheduling parcel mails to individual passenger trains, a practice which had to be abandoned during the war. By October next, further progress will be made in accelerating parcel mail circulation and the interval between posting and delivery should be reduced by as much as twenty-four hours on medium and forty-eight hours on long distances. I should like to take this early opportunity of paying tribute to the helpful spirit of co-operation in which the railway companies have sought to overcome their great working difficulties in order to improve the letter and parcel mail services.
With regard to air services, as night flying inland air services develop, I propose to use them to improve the mail service in suitable cases. To begin with, I have directed that first priority be given to consideration of the question of night flights between England and Northern Ireland and Eire.
3 As regards letter collections and deliveries, the position will be considerably improved this summer in many places, and by the end of the year the improvement will be general. In London, on week days, excepting Saturday, additional collections will be made at 7.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. (the 9 p.m. collection being restricted to the Central Area). On Saturdays and Sundays, the last collection will be at 6 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. There will be five deliveries (one a restricted delivery) in head districts in place of the present three deliveries, and the starting time of the final delivery in head and sub-districts will be 7 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. to 4.15 p.m., as at present. We shall aim at an earlier finish for the first delivery.
In provincial towns, a later collection, restricted as before the war to certain collecting boxes, will be given at 8 p.m. to 8.45 p.m., and the afternoon collection will be made later in many rural districts, timed generally to connect with the outgoing main evening mail from head office. In provincial towns of 50,000 inhabitants and over, there will be an additional delivery, making three in all in the central districts. In rural areas having only one delivery at present, an additional delivery will be given where the traffic justifies this service. I hope that may affect localities in which many noble Lords have a special interest.
I propose, in connexion with these changes, to give provincial town postmen on outdoor services a half-holiday on Saturdays by making the final delivery at about noon to 1 p.m. and the final collection at about 6 p.m. I propose a concession on similar lines for postmen serving rural areas. It will be open to local authorities to take up individual cases with the Post Office, if they so desire.
§ LORD WOOLTONMy Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Earl for the information he has given to us, and I am sure that your Lordships will feel that we are grateful to the Post Office for taking these steps which will regain its old reputation for speed and efficiency in which quite justifiably before the war it had considerable pride. The information the noble Earl, the Postmaster-General, has given to us will not only be satisfying to the public but, if I might for one moment speak for the commercial community, I am sure it will give them great 4 satisfaction. I am grateful to the noble Earl for the statement he has made.