§ Mr. W. J. Brownasked the Assistant Postmaster-General the amount of the surplus of income over expenditure in the case of the Post Office Department for each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. BurkeFollowing are the particulars asked for:
The surplus of income over expenditure (after charging interest on capital) shown by the Post Office Commercial Accounts for the five years to 31 March, 1940, are:
£ 1935–36 12,539,110 1936–37 12,306,769 1937–38 11,227,880 1938–39 10,254,578 1939–40 7,426,841 The preparation and presentation of Commercial Accounts has been suspended during the War by Defence Regulation; but approximate and unaudited accounts on a simplified basis have been compiled for departmental use. The surpluses shown by these accounts are, of course, substantially expanded by the increases in various rates of charges made in the Budget of 1940–41 and later years, as well as by a greatly increased user of services by Government Departments. The approximate surpluses and the estimated amount derived from the increases in charges are as follows:
Surplus. Yield of increases in charges. £ £ 1940–41 22,700,000 22,000,000 1941–42 26,250,000 26,000,000 1942–43 32,200,000 26,800,000 1943–44 37,400,000 33,400,000 1944–45 40,000,000 34,600,000