HC Deb 13 October 1943 vol 392 cc914-5W
Mr. Brooke

asked the Postmaster-General why it was necessary to fix the last daily collection from pillar boxes in Outer London areas from 27th September onwards at 4.30 p.m. or earlier, black-out at that date being not until 7.20 p.m.?

Captain Crookshank

Several hours of work have to be done before the letters received in the last collections in outer London can be finally despatched from London. They have to be sorted, made up for destinations, conveyed to the stations and put in the trains and these processes are hampered by the black-out. In these circumstances the final letter-box collection in Outer London must be made before 5 p.m. in the winter months, when the black-out varies from 7.15 p.m. to 5.20 p.m., if the connection is to he maintained with the important range of trains leaving London at 8 p.m. While the final general collection in Outer London will be made at 4.30 p.m. during the winter months there will be at least two boxes in each sub-district area from which the final collection will be made half or three-quarters of an hour later. The last general collections will be made at 5.30 p.m. in the Head District Areas and at 6.30 p.m. from the Head District Office.

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