§ Lieut.-Colonel Mackesonasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the average time taken for mails from this country to reach troops in Singapore during the last eight weeks; and why, furniture has been flown in aircraft that might have carried mails.
§ Mr. LawsonDuring the last three months the average time for delivery of mails from this country to troops in Singapore has been about nine days. The weather was bad during most of this period and during the last few weeks when the weather has been rather better the average time has been reduced to seven days. The regularity of the service has also been improved by the adoption of a different route for the last part of the journey by air. As regards the second part of the Question, I am informed that troops' mails are accorded overriding priority over all passengers and freight on the scheduled air services and that the carriage of furniture has not displaced mails leaving the United Kingdom.