To ask the Postmaster-General whether, seeing that postmasterships in London are not open to the staff of the whole of the United Kingdom, but are practically confined to London officials, he will explain why postmasterships in Ireland are not confined to officials serving in Ireland; and will he say in what respects there is a greater difference between postmasterships in London and in Scotland, for example, than there is between postmasterships in Ireland and in Scotland. (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) As already explained to the hon. Member the position of postmasters in London is dissimilar to that of postmasters elsewhere. The former are an integral part of the London postal service, and they would more properly, perhaps, be described as chief superintendents. Provincial postmasterships, whether in Ireland, Scotland, England, or Wales, are staff appointments open to the staff throughout the whole of the United Kingdom, and it would not be beneficial, either to the service or to the staff, to confine them to officials serving in any particular part of the Kingdom.