§ Sir A. HOLBROOKasked the Postmaster-General if he will consider the desirability of retaining the 1d. postage rates for picture postcards if used only for complimentary purposes; and whether he is aware that the policy of raising the postage for picture cards has proved a failure in France and is being abandoned, and that its adoption in this country will mean the practical extinction of the British picture postcard industry and create a large amount of unemployment?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYPicture postcards used, as the hon. Member puts it, "for complimentary purposes," or, as the Post Office Regulations say, "bearing no writing except dates and names and addresses of sender and addressee, formulas of courtesy, or of a conventional character not exceeding five words or initials," need not be prepaid more than a 1d. for inland transmission on and after the 13th June, provided that they are marked to go not at the inland postcard rate but at the inland printed paper rate. It follows that I am unable to share the hon. Member's apprehension as to the extinction of the industry. I am not aware whether the statement made as regards France is correct.
§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Postmaster-General whether he has information to show that the increased rates on picture postcards imposed in France and Germany has proved unremunerative and in France is already about to be withdrawn; whether he has considered the representations made to his predecessor last year by the trade and kindred trades, both in deputation and by letter; and whether, having regard to those representations and to the 1073W distinction drawn between picture post-cards and correspondence postcards, he will amend his proposals so as to exempt the former from the additional postage providing they do not contain more than a limited number of words?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYI have no information as to the results of the increased rate in France and Germany and I have received no notification of any intention to withdraw it. I have considered the representations made to my predecessor. As regards the remainder of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to-day to the question on the same subject by the hon. Member for the Basingstoke Division of Hampshire, in which I pointed out that the picture postcards bearing no writing except dates and names and addresses of sender and addressee, formulas of courtesy not ex-ceeding five words or initials, need not be prepaid more than 1d. for Inland transmission, provided they are marked to go not at the Inland Postcard rate, but at the Inland Printed Paper rate.