§ Mr. McENTEEasked the Postmaster-General whether he will table a list of town sub-offices between Holloway and Harriet, specially marking those offices which do not issue licences, pay telegraph money orders, accept cash on delivery parcels, pay telegraph savings bank withdrawals, accept telegrams for the Imperial cable, and issue wireless licences?
§ Major BARNSTONI will have the desired table prepared, and forwarded to the hon. Member.
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§ Mr. McENTEEasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a Select Committee of the House of Commons reported in 1913 that the Post Office had admitted in evidence before it that the work performed at scale-payment sub-offices was inferior in quality and value to that performed at head and branch offices; whether he is aware that inferiority in public service has been increased by the practice of permitting one person to contract for a chain of offices over which no adequate supervision is possible, and that in the northern district of London, which is sadly lacking in branch post offices, this question of the right of an individual to own many town sub-offices has reached an acute stage owing to the number of firms who control three or more offices; and whether he will meet the pressing public demand by authorising the provision of at least one branch office, in every important area of the metropolis?
§ Major BARNSTONIf the hon. Member will be good enough to let me know which sub-offices he has in mind and in which areas he thinks that a branch office should be provided, I will look into the matter. Speaking generally, experience does not confirm the contention that efficiency suffers when several sub-offices are controlled by one individual.