§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered the Reports of the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries and the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the profitability of the telegram service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what proportion of inland 274W telegrams are personal messages of a life and death nature, and what proportion of these can be conveyed by no other means than a telegram.
§ Mr. StonehouseApproximately 1 per cent. The proportion which cannot be conveyed by other means cannot be estimated.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what percentage change he expects in telegram traffic in each of the next 10 years.
§ Mr. StonehouseIf present tariffs continue unchanged traffic is expected to decline as follows:
Per cent. 1969 2 1970 5 1971 4 1972 3 1973 1.5 1974 1.2 1975 0.5 1976–78 0.0
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what is the income from Press telegrams in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Stonehouse£19,000 in 1967–68.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what is the total income of the inland telegram service in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Stonehouse£3,024,000 in 1967–68.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General if he will give a definition of the rural areas to and from which 14 per cent. of telegrams are delivered.
§ Mr. StonehouseRural areas are defined as communities of less than 1,000 inhabitants.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General on what basis can telegrams be delivered by Post Office personnel employed on postal delivery.
§ Mr. StonehouseReduced rate overnight telegrams are normally delivered by post. Other telegrams are delivered by post when this means a quicker delivery.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what is the number of Post Office personnel wholly employed in the delivery of telegrams; and what is their grading.
275W
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what is the maximum and the average number of inland telegrams per day.
§ Mr. StonehouseMaximum 36,000 per day. Average 22,000 per day.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what facilities there are for lodging greetings telegrams with the Post Office in advance, particularly in view of the congestion on Saturdays at certain peak times of the year.
§ Mr. StonehouseAll greetings telegrams except those for delivery with a telegraph money order, may be handed in in advance for delivery on a specified day.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what proportion of inland telegrams he estimates is sent or received primarily as a written record.
§ Mr. StonehouseIt is not possible to make such an estimate.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what is the average cost of an inland telegram.
§ Mr. Stonehouse13s. 8d.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what is the average time taken in getting through on the telephone to the telegram service in the London telephone region during working hours.
§ Mr. StonehouseAbout 20 seconds.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what is the average income per inland telegram.
§ Mr. Stonehouse8s.
§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Postmaster-General what specific studies the Post Office has carried out of methods of conveying life and death messages which offer possible alternatives to the telegram service.
§ Mr. StonehouseLife and death messages receive special handling in the present telegram service. A number of alternative schemes are being considered in the review of the future of the inland telegram service.