§ 85. Sir W. Anstruther-Grayasked the Postmaster-General whether he will re open the question of reciprocal postage rate reductions between Great Britain and the United States of America in view of the desirability of promoting understanding and co-operation between the two countries.
§ Mr. K. ThompsonNo. Whilst I share my hon. and gallant Friend's interest in promoting understanding and co-operation with the U.S.A., I do not think the surface-letter rate is a serious barrier to it. The cost of reintroducing the Commonwealth rate, which would fall on other users of the postal services in this country, would be heavy. There is no reason to think that the United States Post Office, for its part, would wish to incur again the financial liability of the concessionary rate on letters from the United States to this country, which was withdrawn more than twenty-five years ago.