§ Mr. Sharpasked the Postmaster-General what are the main features of the interdepartmental van service for the transfer of departmental papers in the London area; whether this has now been put into operation; what is the estimated cost of the service and to what extent this will be offset by staffing economies.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingThe inter-departmental van service is intended to provide for speedy transfer of urgent documents between various Government buildings in London; to promote increased efficiency in administration; and to ensure the maximum economy in manpower, vehicles and fuel that can be obtained from the absorption of existing unrelated departmental systems. The scheme cannot be190W put into operation until certain accommodation and other problems have been solved. It is not yet practicable to make a firm estimate of the final cost of the scheme or to say how far this will be offset by staffing economies.