asked the Postmaster-General what were the financial arrangements made with Unity Pools, Limited; and what is the cost of the arrangement to the State apart from the cost of collecting letters containing coupons and transmitting them to the 34 regional offices?

No financial arrangements have been made with Unity Pools and no costs are incurred apart from the ordinary costs of handling letters in the post. Letters addressed to Unity Pools at any of the regional offices are prepaid at the letter rate of postage and transmitted and delivered to the Unity Pools agent at the town of address in ordinary course of post.

Is the Postmaster-General aware that Members of this House have been circularised with a copy of a letter which is said to have been sent to the right hon. and gallant Gentleman dated 23rd January? Is it the case that the right hon. and gallant Gentleman accepted a scheme in terms of which certain persons publish their coupons in millions of newspapers at the public expense? Is that statement correct?

I have never heard of any such statement, and it is absolutely incorrect. What we have done is to object to the posting of outward blank coupons because they overwhelm the Post Office staff with work when they have more urgent matters in hand.