§ Lord Mancroftasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in the setting up of the postal code system and when it is expected that it will be in operation throughout the whole country.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Viscount Trenchard)That is a matter for the Post Office under the powers of automony granted it by the Post Office Act 1969. I understand, however, that 46 mechanised letter sorting offices are now using the postcode system and that the Post Office plans that the mechanisation programme, which covers 84 offices, will be completed by about 1985. It is not intended that all letter sorting offices will be mechanised, nor can all traffic be handled mechanically.