asked the Postmaster-General what proportion of the staff of the Post Office Savings Bank will be expected to move permanently out of London when a new location for the offices has been decided.

It is too early to give an estimate of the numbers who will volunteer to move.

Is the Postmaster-General aware that any movement from Central London will be of great benefit to the country as a whole? I only hope that the jobs of those who move will not be taken by others coming in to fill the posts so created.

That is very much in our minds.

Is it the case that the decision on whether to move or not will depend solely on the number of employees prepared to move?

No, not at all. The number of volunteers will depend partly on the popularity of the location which is chosen and partly on the timing of the building. Obviously, some staff will have to move out of London in the interests of the efficiency of the bank, and staff preferences are only one of the factors which we shall take into account.

asked the Postmaster-General if a decision has yet been reached about the removal out of London of the Post Office Savings Bank.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a further statement on his proposal to move the Post Office Savings Bank administration out of London.

A decision on the location of the Savings Bank has not yet been reached, but I hope to be able to make an announcement by the middle of next month.

Is the Postmaster-General aware that in the west of Scotland area established civil servants, in particular, are very anxious about vacancies to be created in the area for their children who wish to carry on in the Civil Service but, according to the results of the last April examination, to fill a vacancy in their home area their children must be 9 per cent, brighter than London children and 7 per cent. brighter than Newcastle children? Is this not a good case for considering the west of Scotland as a location for transferred offices?

That is one of the many factors considered. We are concerned to go to the most appropriate places where we can get the best site, housing for the staffs who move, school accommodation for their children, and so forth.

On the question of staff preferences, will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that the staff concerned are fully informed of the facilities offered in the various alternative locations in view of the assurance given on this point by the Lord Provost of Glasgow, for example? Is the Postmaster-General aware of the information given that the further the location from London the less chance then is of staff choosing to go there? This is an important factor. Will the right hon. Gentleman make full allowance for it?

The position is that the Post Office gave a great deal of information to sty ff associations and members of staff about the three principal possible locations. Since then representatives of the staff associations have visited those three locations to see for themselves what conditions are like.

Can my right hon. Friend give further consideration to Tees-side, where there are adequate facilities? Will he bear that in mind when he makes a decision?

Tees-side is one of the locations.