§ Lord Colytonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why postal charges from France to Great Britain, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland are higher 1236WA than those to the original six members of the European Economic Community; whether they will take up with the French Government and other parties concerned the urgent necessity to bring about equality of treatment among the nine full members of the European Economic Community in this respect; and what is the position of Greece as a newly-joined member in relation to this issue.
The Earl of GowrieEach of the six founder members of the European Community charges its own inland rate for certain categories of mail when these items are sent to any of the other five countries. During 1979 the Commission of the European Communities issued a recommendation that the scheme should be adopted on a Community-wide basis, but to date only Denmark of the members other than the founding Six has joined the scheme. Her Majesty's Government recognise the objectives of the scheme, but under the Post Office Act 1969 postal tariffs are a matter for the Post Office, which has in this case to balance various factors including a likely loss in revenue.
House adjourned at nine minutes before nine o'clock.