THE EARL OF AIRLIEasked His Majesty's Government what losses, through theft, have been sustained, since the beginning of the year 1948 and the present date, by the British Railways and also by the Post Office and in view of the reported heaviness of these losses, will His Majesty's Government say what steps are being taken to combat these losses?
§ LORD SHEPHERDThe details of losses by theft on British Railways and the steps taken to counteract them, are a matter for the British Transport Com- 1201WA mission, but the Minister of Transport inform, me that he has requested the Commission to supply the noble Earl with the desired information. He adds that the Commission have informed him that the most recent figures for losses indicate that the steps taken to prevent loss are proving effective.
So far as the Post Office is concerned, in the year ended December 31, 1948, 432 letter bags and:525 parcel bags were lost in transit and 1,406 letter bags and 3,424 parcel bags were tampered with. During this period, compensation was paid in respect of the loss of, or partial loss from, 12,300 registered letters, 6,400 registered parcels, and 72,300 unregistered parcels. Information to a later date is not available.
Every effort has been made recently to tighten up the arrangements for safeguarding mails in transit. Travelling inspectorial staff is attached to each regional headquarters for their oversight. Since 1939, the staff employed in the investigation branch of the Post Office, which is primarily responsible for combating theft and fraud in the Post Office, has been more than doubled.