§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the Postmaster-General whether the entire loss resulting from the reduction of the cost of postage in April, 1922, has now been recovered; if not, how much has yet to be made good; and whether he can make an estimate as to how long it would take to make good any loss of annual revenue caused by re-establishing pre-War rates?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHThe gross receipts from postal packets (excluding parcels) in the year ended 31st March, 1930, reached the level of receipts in the year ended 31st March, 1922. If the same rate of growth could be assumed, the gross loss of revenue which would result if the pre-War rates of letter postage were now restored would be made good in about 10 years. This does not allow for the additional expenditure which would be required to handle the increased traffic.