§ 2.44 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in response to a request by a noble Lord on April 30, 1959, and with a view to seeing what they are like and to comparing them with the trial designs exhibited in this House on May 17, 1956, it has had designs made of small, standard-size, low value pictorial stamps.]
§ LORD CHESHAMNo, my Lords. My right honourable friend the Postmaster General cannot accept the proposal that there should be low-value pictorial stamps, and he does not therefore think any useful purpose would be served by having trial designs prepared.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his Answer. Now may I ask him whether the position is this: that despite the strong support which my trial designs have had from the British Travel and Holidays Association, from the Scottish Tourist Board and from many people throughout the country, the Postmaster General is still of the opinion that small, low-value standard-size stamps do not lend themselves to pictorial designs?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, we have spoken before about the volume of support which the noble Viscount claims. I leave it at that. Bearing in mind that this is the noble Viscount's thirteenth Question on the subject, perhaps he could not expect too much on this occasion. The point that I must once more make is that Her Majesty's Government have no intention of changing the present stamp policy, and that is the reason they think no useful purpose would be served by having trial designs.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, with great respect, will the noble Lord be good enough to answer the question I put to him: is the Postmaster General still of the opinion that these low-value standard-size stamps do not lend themselves to pictorial designs? Will he answer that question?
§ LORD CHESHAMYes, my Lords.