HC Deb 06 March 1945 vol 408 cc1838-9W
Lord Willoughby de Eresby

asked the Postmaster-General the number and value of claims made against the G.P.O. in the years 1938–39 and 1943–44 for registered and unregistered articles lost or stolen while in course of post and the amount of compensation paid; and the relationship of claims to total traffic in number and percentage.

Captain Crookshank

Statistics of the total number of claims made are not available, but in the financial year 1938–39 some 23,000 claims for loss (including theft) were paid, amounting to approximately 23,000; in 1943–44 some 60,000 claims were paid, amounting to approximately £104,000. Claims paid expressed as a percentage of the total traffic were: 1938–39 =.0095; 1943–44 =.0193. Details are given in the subjoined table:

Year. Traffic posted (Inland and Foreign). Number and amount of claims paid for loss (including theft). Claims paid expressed as a percentage of total traffic.
Number. Amount.
Registered Letters £
1938–1939 58,759,000 1,393 5,482 .0024
1943–1944 105,287,000 13,174 39,063 .0125
Registered Parcels
1938–1939 2,796,000 295 424 .0106
1943–1944 33,566,000 5,231 10,847 .0156
Unregistered Parcels
1938–1939 179,894,000 21,513 17,237 .0120
1943–1944 181,099,000 41,549 54,474 .0229
Compensation is not paid in respect of unregistered letters.