§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expressions of concern he has received from service men and their families about the length of time that mail takes to arrive in the Gulf and about the non-arrival of some mail; and what response he proposes to make.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWe have received a number of letters from service families expressing concern about the length of time it takes for mail to arrive in the Gulf, but these must be set against the very large volume of mail being delivered daily to our forces.
All forces mail to the Gulf is being moved by RAF aircraft. The transit time for letters is around five days and ten days for parcels, though these timings may be exceeded for troops in forward positions.
The importance of an efficient mail service is fully appreciated by the Services and every effort is made to achieve the earliest possible delivery.