§ Mr. GREAVES-LORDasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the fact that a registered letter was, on the 22nd September last, posted in Cairo, addressed to Mrs. Hassard Short, of 4, Trinity Rise, S.W.2; whether the said letter was contained in an official envelope for registered letters and was properly stamped; whether such letter was delivered to the addressee bearing signs of having been opened during transit and refastened; whether he is aware that £30 10s. in Treasury notes was said to have been enclosed therein at the time of posting and that 2807W the said notes had been abstracted during transit; and whether he proposes to compensate the sender for the loss?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS:A registered letter from Cairo for Mrs. Hassard-Short, of 6, Trinity Rise, S.W.2, was delivered in the circumstances mentioned by the hon. Member. The registered-letter post, in the service with places abroad, is governed by international regulations, and these provide for the payment of compensation, which in any case is limited to 50 francs, only in the event of entire loss of a registered packet. No compensation is payable for loss of contents. There is an insured-letter service by which the letter in question could have been sent from Egypt insured for its full value against entire loss or loss of contents.