§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Postmaster-General what are the present 52W arrangements made by the Post Office authorities for the collection and despatch of letter and parcel mails addressed to naval ranks and ratings serving in His Majesty's Ship "Glowworm," serving on the Danube; what is the average time between the date of collecting and the date of delivery to the ship; whether he is aware that in many cases letters and parcels are charged for under the foreign rate, and yet these letters and parcels are on delivery surcharged; and whether an arrangement could be come to whereby a speedier despatch of these mails could be effected, seeing that it now takes anything up to 18 days for a letter and anything up to five weeks for a parcel to be delivered on board this ship after the date of postage in England?
§ Mr. HARTSHORNLetters and parcels addressed to His Majesty's Ship "Glowworm" are delivered at the Admiralty, which transfers them to the Foreign Office for conveyance by the King's Foreign Service Messenger. I have no definite information as to the time which elapses between the date of posting and the date of delivery of such letters and parcels, but I will have inquiry made on that point and see if any acceleration is practicable. The Imperial rate of postage is applicable to letters and the foreign rates to parcels, and I am not aware that additional postage has been collected from the addressees on any letters or parcels prepaid at those rates