asked the Postmaster-General if he will give details of the recent rise in wages of Post Office workers; and what is the total annual cost.

I am sending to the hon. Member the details for which he asks. The total additional annual cost of the revised scales is estimated to be slightly over £5,000,000.

In view of the fact that the Government have just passed through this House a Finance Bill to stop inflation, will the Postmaster-General and other Ministers realise that the mere handing out of pieces of paper does no good to the Post Office workers or to the public, and only accentuates the vicious spiral?

That is another question.

Has the Postmaster-General any idea of carrying out the policy expressed in paragraph 28 of the Economic Survey for 1947, which says:

"Any further general increase in wages and profits must be accompanied by a corresponding increase in production?"

Answer.

Before my right hon. Friend replies, will he say if it is not the fact that these increases—and, indeed, much more substantial increases—are long overdue if the Post Office workers are to be provided with a reasonable standard of living? Is it not a fact that if he had not conceded part of the claims of the workers my right hon. Friend would have found some difficulty in retaining his staff, and recruiting new entrants into the various grades?

Is it not a fact that despite the increase of salaries and the fact that the present staff is quite adequate for the needs of the Post Office, the postal service today is worse than it has ever been?

Emphatically not. I thought there were sufficiently good reasons for giving these increases.

I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter again on the Adjournment at the first opportunity.

asked the Postmaster-General what recent investigations have been made into the organisation and methods employed in the Post Office Savings Department; what recommendations have been made; and to what extent they are now being implemented.

If my hon. Friend has in mind investigations by organisation and methods officers, the answer is that they have examined only limited problems and have not yet made any survey of the whole Department. A full scale inquiry by organisation and methods officers into the Savings Bank side of the work is, however, about to start. Investigations of this nature are, of course, constantly proceeding as part of the normal responsibility of the Head of the Department, and an independent inquiry was made in 1942. I fully recognise the value of periodical investigations, which will be undertaken as time and staff permit, but I must emphasise that the Savings Department has carried out with great success the formidable problem of adapting itself to meet an enormous expansion of work in conditions of shortage of staff and of accommodation which have imposed severe limits upon the possibilities of altering processes in detail. The inquiry now starting will be largely directed to examining whether further mechanisation or a change in the present system is desirable.

If my right hon. Friend is not satisfied that he has a sufficient number of qualified people on his staff to do this work, will he consider asking the Organisation and Methods division of the Treasury to help him with it?

We have a qualified staff for this work and they are doing it.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reinstate the use of the present lover's knot postmark at least until the end of the approaching festive season.

No, Sir.

Will not my right hon. Friend reconsider his decision with a view to enabling the hon. Member to find a lover?

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the introduction in substitution for this of the design of balls and chains in order to symbolise Government policy?

Is this Question an indication that the hon. bachelor, the Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeffington-Lodge), has now honourable intentions?

asked the Postmaster-General how his receipts per cwt. of Forces' air letters at 2½d. per letter compare with his receipts per cwt. of air mail despatched at ordinary rates to the same countries; and whether he will give an assurance that Forces' air letters will be despatched by all lines used for ordinary air mail, and with equal priority.

The gross postage on a given weight of lightweight Forces' letters at 2½d. per letter exceeds that for the same weight of ordinary air mail letters for the Forces, which I assume the hon. Member has in mind, but, owing to their greater number the Post Office handling costs per cwt. are higher in the case of lightweight Forces' letters. After deduction of these costs, the net revenue available to meet air conveyance charges is about the same in either case. No distinction as regards priority of despatch is made between the two classes of correspondence, and I can readily give the assurance sought by the hon. Member.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some of the troops think that Forces' letters are not sent by foreign aircraft even when they would give earlier delivery? Do I understand him to say that if that ever was so it is no longer true?

If they do think that, then I think that this Question and answer may correct them.

In view of the importance of facilitating correspondence between our people in the Forces abroad and their homes here, will my right hon. Friend consider offering them further reduced rates?

We have recently gone into that matter, and I think that this is all we can do at the moment.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement to the House on his recent trip with the cable laying ship "Monarch."

I am grateful for an opportunity to mention this little known Post Office service. His Majesty's Telegraph Ship "Monarch" was first commissioned last year. She is the largest of the Post Office fleet of four cable ships; indeed, the largest cable ship in the world, equipped for laying cables and maintaining them in all waters. The laying by "Monarch" of the new Anglo-Dutch No. 6 cable offered a unique opportunity of witnessing at first-hand the work and working conditions on a cable ship. The cable itself is of very modern design, and will provide 84 telephone circuits from this country to Holland, and in a year or two, to all the Scandinavian countries. "Monarch" is the only ship capable of laying the 80 odd miles in one piece.

In spite of a considerable storm, the laying of the cable was completed successfully in five days. Great credit is, I think, Sir, due to the Captain and ship's company, who combined skilful seamanship and sound technical training so as to lay an unfamiliar type of cable, less easy to handle than the norm, in spite of adverse weather. Great credit is also due to the skill and enterprise of the British firm—Messrs. Submarine Cables Ltd.—who designed and produced the cable itself—an advanced piece of intricate scientific craftsmanship; I am glad to say that they were represented on board "Monarch." Representatives of the Dutch and Danish administrations where there too, and expressed great satisfaction at the success of the operation.

asked the Postmaster-General what restrictions he places on the use of official paid envelopes by nationalised undertakings and associated companies for their ordinary postal correspondence; what steps are taken by his Department to verify the suitability of a firm to make use of postal services at the public expense; and, in particular, if the National Screen Service, Ltd., comes under the heading of a nationalised or an associated company which is entitled by his regulations to use official paid postal service for the distribution of their films.

Official paid envelopes and labels are supplied only to Government Departments under regulations made by the Treasury which prescribe safeguards for their proper use. I understand that National Screen Service, Ltd., distribute films for certain Government Departments, and for that purpose they are supplied by the Departments concerned with specially printed or partially printed labels bearing the "Official Paid" design.

If this is a private company, is this concession justified?

I said that this company are distributing films for certain Government Departments. We provide labels for them.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is any case on record in which an unstamped letter bearing the letters "O.H.M.S." written in ink has been returned by any Government Department with a request for payment of postage?

I do not know. If the hon. Gentleman knows of such a case, perhaps, he will let me know.

Has any such letter ever been returned?

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is now in a position to make a statement on special issues of postage stamps in 1948.

I have much pleasure in informing the House that, with His Majesty's gracious assent, I propose to authorise an issue of special stamps on 26th April, 1948, to commemorate the Silver Wedding of Their Majesties the King and Queen. I propose also to issue special postage stamps on the occasion of the opening of the Olympic Games in July, 1948, and in May, 1948, on the anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands from German occupation.

Will the designs of these stamps be submitted in ample time for the Royal Fine Art Commission to consider them, so that this country can have the best?

Yes, and in one case that has already been done.

Will the right hon. Gentleman seriously consider producing a stamp to express recognition of the high production of the miners and steelworkers of this country, which is of the very greatest importance to the economy of this country—much more than the others?

I do not know about a stamp, but I deeply appreciate the efforts those people are making.

Will my right hon. Friend say if there is any tie up with the Dominions, which would be desirable, so that we may keep in step with them—as, for instance, in connection with the first issue that he mentioned?