§ Captain Kerbyasked the Postmaster-General on how many occasions Post Office franking patterns have been altered in the last decade; what is the average cost of designing, making and fixing a new pattern; and if he will estimate the additional revenue accruing to the Post Office as the result of a new pattern.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterI assume that the hon. and gallant Member has in mind the postmark publicity slogans which are used from time to time in Post Office stamp cancelling machines.
There have been about 370 publicity campaigns using slogans of this type during the last 10 years. The cost of a campaign depends on the number of cancelling machines used and the duration of the campaign; the revenue varies accordingly. During 1963–64 the average cost of a slogan campaign including designing, making and fixing a new franking pattern was £75 and the average revenue was £117.