§ Lord CROOKMy 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, as supporters of the Declaration by the United Nations of 1979 as"The Year of the Child ", they have secured that the Post Office will issue an appropriate stamp during 1979 as has been decided by other nations.
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, as was announced by the Post Office on 16th May last, they intend as part of their 1979 special stamp programme to issue a set of stamps in July 1979 on the theme"The Year of the Child."
§ Lord CROOKMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply and say how good it is that at last we can have an Answer which does not refer us to writing to the Chairman of the Post Office Board. May I ask the noble Lord to congratulate the Foreign Office in that this time they have managed to get a stamp for a United Nations year, whereas they managed no action at all when they tried for the blind, where this country has led for so long?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMI am most grateful to my noble friend for his very welcome answer.
§ Lord BALFOUR of INCHRYEMy Lords, may I ask the Minister whether the Government will seek assurance from the Post Office Board that, unlike the instance of cheap mail at Christmas or Sunday collections, they will obtain favourable permission from the unions for this step?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, that is quite a different question.