HL Deb 18 July 1977 vol 386 cc3-5

2.38 p.m.

Lord BOYD-CARPENTER

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 whether, in order to facilitate business within the EEC, they will take any steps which are necessary to secure the provision of an adequate, punctual and speedy postal service between London and Paris.

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, that is a matter for the Post Office and the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, should write to the chairman of the Corporation on it.

Lord BOYD-CARPENTER

My Lords, yes; but is the noble Lord, Lord Winterbottom, aware that properly stamped and correctly addressed correspondence between London and Paris is now taking between 12 and 13 days for delivery? Is the noble Lord aware of the fact that that is twice the time that postage took before the French Revolution? In the light of that, if the Post Office is unable or unwilling to provide a proper and punctual service, is it not up to Her Majesty's Government to suspend its monopoly and let somebody else have a try?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, the Post Office tell me that the service has been affected by labour disagreements, almost all of them on the other side of the Channel.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

My Lords, will the Government take any steps necessary to secure an adequate, speedy and successful postal service between London and London?

Lord BRUCE of DONINGTON

My Lords, is my noble friend Lord Winter-bottom aware that, if he compares the performance of the British Post Office with that of any other leading Continental or trans-Atlantic country, he will find that, in terms of time, our British postal services are roughly twice as efficient as those of our nearest competitor?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend Lord Bruce of Donington, who has stated the facts.

Lord GLENKINGLAS

My Lords, though I agree that the position as represented by the noble Lord, Lord Bruce of Donington, was accurate a few years ago, will the noble Lord, Lord Winterbottom, bear in mind, in view of the question of my noble friend Lord Campbell of Croy, that it is now regularly taking five days for a ninepenny letter to get from one address in London to another? If that is so, then 12 days to Paris may, I suppose, he regarded as rather quick.

Lord BRUCE of DONINGTON

My Lords, I should like to ask a further question which arises from the supplementary that has just been addressed to my noble friend. May I inform him—

Several noble Lords

No!

Lord BRUCE of DONINGTON

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that the figures that I provided to the House were for 1976 and that they were published in the national Press a fortnight ago?

Earl ALEXANDER of TUNIS

My Lords, will the Minister reconsider the two-tier postal system, as the first-class system is taking just as long as the second-class?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

That is an entirely different question.