74.
asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider permitting regional and head postmasters the authority to allow for the restoration of pre-war postal services and other improvements of the service in their districts where it is found that general instructions cannot be given for such developments.
While I am anxious to improve postal facilities as soon as conditions permit, I regret that my hon. Friend's suggestion is not practicable; the reason for present restrictions in postal services is the overriding necessity to conserve national manpower, and local improvements could not be made without additional calls on manpower. Moreover, I am satisfied that the country as a whole would demand a certain measure of uniformity in postal services.