§ 3.22 p.m.
§ Lord GisboroughMy 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 what is the total amount of new investment being made by the Post Office in the current financial year; and what increase this represents on the amount invested in 1978–79.
§ Lord LyellMy Lords, the Post Office is expected to spend its full capital investment allocation this year, amounting to £115 million. This represents nearly three times the level of capital investment in 1978–79.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. It will impress the House that the expenditure has gone up by three times. Can he say whether we can now expect to see rapid progress in investment in such things as letter sorting equipment?
§ Lord LyellMy Lords, the actual programme of future capital investment is, I understand, to be spread over five years, and indeed one of the items is complete mechanisation of the major sorting offices. That will receive investment of approximately £140 million and I believe about another £100 million will be spent on replacing inadequate and outdated sorting offices. I am afraid I cannot give my noble friend further or more closely argued details, but possibly I may write to him.