§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the anticipated annual saving in wage and salary costs which should accrue to the Post Office once the automatic mail-sorting equipment bought for £3 million over the past five years is brought into operation; what progress has been made between the Post Office and the Union of Post Office Workers on a resumption of the mechanisation programme; and how soon the equipment is now likely to be operational.
§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieDetails of the savings of particular aspects of postal mechanisation are a matter for the Post Office. However, I understand that the equipment in question forms only part of a national mechanisation programme for introduction over several years and thus savings cannot be meaningfully assessed until this has been complete. An
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§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieTotal staff and other employees number 426.