HL Deb 30 April 1970 vol 309 cc1238-9WA
THE EARL OF MANSFIELD

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there is any truth in the widely spread rumour that only such letters as bear a fivepenny stamp are given priority of delivery and that any bearing a combination of stamps of lower denominations, such as three-penny and twopenny, are delayed in the same way as are those bearing a fourpenny stamp; this being said to be due to the letters being sorted by an electronic device which is able to distinguish the fivepenny from all others, as there is some special chemical component in that stamp.

LORD BOWLES

The Post Office became a public corporation on October 1, 1969, and as a result Her Majesty's Government no longer have direct responsibility for the running of the postal services. Such operational details of mail handling as those referred to in this Question are now for the Post Office rather than for the Government.