§ Sir H. Morris-Jonesasked the Postmaster General whether he will arrange that letters addressed to soldiers serving in Iraq and the Middle East, for which a 1s. 3d. air-mail stamp is charged, will be sent by air-mail and not as frequently happens by maritime mail which often involves a delay of many weeks and for which the charge should be 1½d.?
§ Captain CrookshankAs I have previously explained, the limited amount of aircraft capacity available for the transport of mails is not sufficient to enable the heavy weight of ordinary air mail letters to the Middle East and beyond to be conveyed all the way by air; but this type of correspondence for the Forces in Iraq and the Middle East is sent by sea only as far as West Africa whence it is carried by air for the remainder of the journey to the base. The primary reason for maintaining this form of service at present is that it is the only service, apart from the slow surface route, by which enclosures can be sent. The service operates with fair regularity and the average time in transit between this country and the base during the last three months has been six and a half weeks.