asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will make a statement indicating the number of vacancies in all grades of the Post Office at the present date.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will make a statement indicating the number of vacancies in the postman, telephonist, telegraphist and postal officer grades of the Post Office at the present date.

The Post Office tells me that the latest figures are: postmen 9,300; telephonists 3,100; telegraphists 150; postal officers 1,100 and clerical staff 1,100.

Does the right hon. Gentleman accept that those figures give no reason to be satisfied with the state of recruitment in the Post Office? Is he aware that the present situation is due to the fall in morale in the Post Office, and that Post Office workers look to him as the Minister responsible to support the Post Office Board in making representations to the Pay Board for justice for all grades in the Post Office?

I agree with the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question but not with the second and third.

Can my right hon. Friend say what are the percentages involved and whether there are a larger number of posts vacant in the South-East of England than in the rest of the country, which is the normal situation?

I cannot give my hon. Friend the geographical distribution, but the total national position is as follows: postmen 9·5 per cent., telephonists 7·5 per cent., telegraphists 9 per cent., postal officers 4·8 per cent. and clerical staff 3·8 per cent.

Does the Minister agree that the shortfall of 15,000 staff in the Post Office is very serious? What does he propose to do to relieve the situation? Does he propose to support the Chairman of the Post Office Board in the application to the Pay Board? Is he aware that there is another serious problem inasmuch as staff turnover is now much higher than ever?

The question of wages and remuneration of staff is, first, under negotiation between the unions concerned and their employer. Secondly, there is the question of the relativities report. Thirdly, there is ample scope within the flexibility provided under stage 3. Fourthly, I have no doubt that the future of the Post Office will improve as more and more people come to recognise the valuable service that can be given in its employment.

Is the Minister aware that that answer will be received with a sneer by Post Office staff? Is he aware that the international telephone service is in dire difficulties? The fault rate is very high because of the shortage of telephonists. Will the right hon. Gentleman impress upon the Government the need to deal with the wages question as quickly as they can?

Yes, Sir. The particular position affecting certain aspects of the telephone side involves other factors which are certainly of concern in the present situation. The Post Office is very well aware of this. It is doing its best to overcome the manpower shortages in every possible respect, and the question of wages is under direct negotiation.

No matter how dedicated the staff of the Post Office may be to their task in life—and they are—we should all like to hear, and the employees of the Post Office would like to hear, that the Minister will stand up for them on the question of wages. Otherwise we shall have no people working in the service at all.

With great respect to the hon. Gentleman, he must recognise that the scope for negotiation is set down by the terms of stage 3. I cannot depart from it, nor can anybody else. It is the law of the land. There is ample scope for negotiation within it.