asked the Minister for the Civil Service what instructions he has issued to his Department as to the use of the first-class mail; and whether he will issue appropriate directions that only urgent letters are sent first class.
There are standing instructions to ensure that effective and economic use is made of the two-tier postal system. We follow the principle that the cheaper second-class service should be used except where there is judged to be a clear and defensible need for the faster but more expensive first-class post. Instructions have also been issued recently urging in general that the utmost economy should be exercised in the use of postal services and reminding staff that the maximum possible use should be made of the Department's van services and of the Interdepartmental Despatch Service (IDS) run by the Department of the Environment.