30.
asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the possibility of arranging for the operation of night telegraph letters at the week-end in view of the fact that many industries have to work on Saturdays and Sundays and urgent matters cannot be dealt with by telegram and the postal deliveries are slow?
My right hon. and gallant Friend regrets that it would not be practicable to organise a night telegraph letter service to operate for certain days in the week only. The ordinary telegraph and telephone services are available for urgent messages at week-ends and the provision of a special night telegraph letter service to secure delivery on Sundays would be extravagant in man power. Furthermore I would remind my hon. Friend that the night telegraph letter service did not provide a Sunday delivery.
May I ask my hon. Friend to make an exception in favour of Northern Ireland because of the enormous convenience it was, as I found myself, to be able to send these night telegraph letters on Saturday so that they might be delivered in Northern Ireland on Monday morning, in view of the length of time taken by the ordinary service?
We have given that very sympathetic consideration, but in view of the present man-power position, I am afraid we are unable to do it.