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

Since 1968 the Department has had standing instructions to ensure that effective and economic use is made of the two-tier postal system. The principle is that the cheaper second-class service is used except when there is a clear and defensible need for the faster but more expensive first-class service.