HL Deb 27 October 1971 vol 324 cc657-9
LORD AIREDALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, having regard to this country's considerable export trade arising from the production of postage stamps for countries overseas, whether they regard the 5p stamp printed on our own air letters as a worthy example of British craftsmanship.]

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, the design and production of air letter forms are primarily matters for the Post Office.

LORD AIREDALE

My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for that Answer. While I appreciate that this is a matter for the Post Office, since the Executive have been blessed with the presence of a Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, could there be some guidance for humble Back-Benchers about what sort of matters relating to the Post Office are suitable for Parliamentary Question?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, it is generally accepted that it is up to the individual Peer or Member of another place to decide what is a suitable Question to put down; and it is up to the individual Minister to decide what is a suitable Question to answer. But as regards the intervention of my right honourable friend as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications on matters of stamp design, the general agreement with the Post Office over such matters is that he should give advice to the Post Office only when stamps are considered to be unacceptable on political grounds.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, has the noble Lord any information as to whether special Christmas issue of the 5p air letter is likely to be introduced this year, as was done last year?

LORD DENHAM

Yes, my Lords.

LORD HAWKE

My Lords, are Her Majesty's Government aware that when I collected stamps sixty years ago we issued at rare intervals beautiful and artistic stamps, and left it to Guatemala and other countries to provide pictures for the schoolchildren of the world? Have we not come down in the market place from that rather high standard?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, my noble friend is perfectly entitled to that opinion, but I do not think it would be proper for me to comment on it.

LORD SLATER

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that his reply to his noble friend is one that should receive support, because great care is taken in the design of stamps, which must, in the first place, receive the consent of Her Majesty the Queen? The Post Office go up and down the country for the design of stamps, and I think credit can be taken for the types of stamp that have been issued over the last few years.

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, the difficulty about the whole question of stamps is that no one design would please everybody.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, can the noble Lord give a date when the new 5p Christmas air letter will be issued?

LORD DENHAM

No, my Lords. I think that is rather outside the scope of the Question.