asked the Postmaster-General why it costs more to send an unsealed Christmas card a few miles inland than it does to send it to the United States of America.

The present charge of 2½d. for Inland printed papers was introduced by my right hon. Friend in order to make the service economic. The effect of this, and other tariff changes announced in July last, was to give the Post Office sufficient income for immediate purposes. Because of this, and with the export trade particularly in mind, my right hon. Friend decided to leave unchanged the Overseas printed paper tariff at the uneconomic charge of 2d.