§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALE: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ask the Post Office to consider a special low rate of postage charge, including international postal charges, where a recorded message tape is sent to or by a blind person, bearing in mind that there is no postal charge for talking book cassettes or for many other items for the use of the blind.]
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, this is primarily a matter for the Post Office, but I understand that tapes sent overseas via a recognised institution for the blind already qualify for free surface postage and reduced airmail rates.
§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, does that mean that I can write to Eire, but not to Northern Ireland, with this advantage? Is it not surprising that the rest of the world recognises this little benefit for blind people, but not the United Kingdom? Should I make representations to the Post Office?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, the answer to the first part of my noble friend's question is, Yes. The answer to the last part of my noble friend's question is that I am sure the Post Office will be extremely glad to hear from him, and very happy to talk with him about this. The existing concessions in the inland service are based on the principle that the blind should not have to incur 626 expenses normally avoided by sighted people; thus, they relate essentially to articles that have been specially adapted for use by the blind.
§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, even though tapes have not been specially adapted for the use of the blind, blindness inevitably represents a handicap in writing letters and, more so, in reading them, so that the technique of using a tape is adapted for the blind.
§ LORD DENHAMYes, my Lords. The point here is that if one is sending a Braille book by post it will weigh very much more than an ordinary book, and sighted people have the advantage of going to their local library whereas one of these letter tapes goes by exactly the same cost of postage as does an ordinary letter.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, cannot Her Majesty's Government raise this matter in the Universal Postal Union, with a view to getting some international co-operation?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, the international point is different, as I said in my original Answer, but this is a point for the inland post, which is not the responsibility of Her Majesty's Government. This is a matter for the day-to-day running of the Post Office.