asked the Secretary of State for Industry what instructions he has issued to his Department as to the use of first-class mail; and whether he will issue appropriate directions to ensure that only urgent letters are sent first class.

There are standard instructions to ensure that effective and economic use is made of the two-tier system. We follow the principle that the cheaper second-class service should be used except when there is a clear and defensible need for the faster but more expensive first-class post.