Commercial Accounts

Mr. W. J. Brown
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the amount of the surplus of income over expenditure in the case of the Post Office Department for each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Burke
Following are the particulars asked for:The surplus of income over expenditure (after charging interest on capital) shown by the Post Office Commercial Accounts for the five years to 31 March, 1940, are:---------
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|1935–36|
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|1936–37|
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|1937–38|
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|1938–39|
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|1939–40|
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The preparation and presentation of Commercial Accounts has been suspended during the War by Defence Regulation; but approximate and unaudited accounts on a simplified basis have been compiled for departmental use. The surpluses shown by these accounts are, of course, substantially expanded by the increases in various rates of charges made in the Budget of 1940–41 and later years, as well as by a greatly increased user of services by Government Departments. The approximate surpluses and the estimated amount derived from the increases in charges are as follows:---------
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|1940–41|
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|1941–42|
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|1942–43|
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|1943–44|
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|1944–45|
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