asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the cost and frequent difficulty of travelling to post offices authorised to pay retirement pensions, he will provide facilities for the payment of such pensions on one day in each week at outlying, villages not having a Post Office.

My right hon. Friend has consulted the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance about this matter. We are sorry we should not be justified in providing the additional facilities for paying pensions for which my hon. Friend asks. But, if he has in mind any particular case of difficulty and will let us have details, we will gladly see whether there is anything we can do to help. I should mention that all post offices pay pensions.

That is a very disappointing reply. Is my hon. Friend aware that even in my Constituency, which is only 13 or 14 miles from London, there are many hamlets several miles from the nearest Post Office at which pensions can be drawn? Is he also aware that the cost of travelling on country buses is quite high and that a large proportion of the pension is taken in travelling to a post office? Furthermore, these pensioners do not like asking other people to collect their pension on their behalf, especially if they are in receipt of National Assistance. Will my hon. Friend look at this matter again?

I can see my hon. Friend's point, but we already provide post offices in rural areas on as generous a scale as we think we can justify. Normally, we regard two miles as a reasonable distance between post offices in these areas, but we do not keep rigidly to this. If we made this special arrangement, it would have to be by agreement with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance for whom we act only as agents in this matter.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the cost of a return fare on a country bus to travel two miles to a Post Office can be 3s. or more?