§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that legal business is under handicap because it is impossible to ensure that first-class mail posted one day in Lincoln's Inn Fields will reach the other side of Lincoln's Inn Fields the next day.]
§ LORD BOWLESMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Postmaster General has received no complaints about delay in the delivery of first-class letters posted in Lincoln's Inn Fields for the other side of Lincoln's Inn Fields. They should be delivered on the day of posting or first post the next day, and this service is almost invariably being given.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his reply, and admitting that the service has been somewhat better since I put down my Question, may I ask this further question? Are Her Majesty's Government aware that in Lincoln's Inn Fields the 5d. letters continue to dribble in throughout the whole day, and that the bulk of them arrive by the noon post, notwithstanding the fact that they may have been posted on the other side of the square or in any other part of London, or indeed elsewhere in the country? And will the Government endeavour to live up to their promises to see that mail posted on one side of the square reaches the other side by the first post the next morning, or indeed if it is posted anywhere in London?
§ LORD BOWLESMy Lords, I think the House should know something about these things. The noble Lord's cousin gave this information. What happened was that when my right honourable friend the Postmaster General went round to see and to make inquiries, the noble Lord's relative refused to produce any evidence in support of his statement. So I do not propose to answer any further.
§ VISCOUNT DILHORNEMy Lords, can the noble Lord at least give an assurance that complaints posted to the Postmaster General reach him the next day?
§ LORD BOWLESMy Lords, if the noble Viscount has any inquiry perhaps he will be courteous enough to allow my right honourable friend to inquire fully into it.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, will the noble Lord confirm or deny that when complaints have been made to the local post office about the late delivery of the 5d. post, they say that it is inevitable because of the extra time taken to pick out the 5d. letters from the 4d. letters?
§ LORD BOWLESMy Lords, no complaint was made to the local head postmaster and I think the noble Lord will be serving his country a little better if he realises that the Questions he puts down cost the ratepayers £12 per Question.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, may I draw the noble Lord's attention to the fact that this is the most extraordinary answer that I have ever heard in this House, and will he make certain in future that complaints made to counter clerks in post offices percolate as far as the head postmaster in that office?
§ LORD BOWLESMy Lords, I think that anybody who makes a complaint should ask to see the head postmaster, and he will, then be interviewed.