BRITISH FORCES POST OFFICE

Early day motion 225, tabled 20 December 1999 by Andrew Dismore (Labour). Signed by 71 members.

That this House commends the work of the British Forces Post Office (BFPO) which, since its launch in July 1999, has simultaneously supported more BFPO operational locations than at any time since the end of the Second World War, delivering mail to servicemen and women throughout the world; notes that in the last six months some eight million letters and packets and 350,000 parcels have been handled by the BFPO, 96 per cent. of which were carried within agreed timeframes; recognises the commitment of the many locally-employed civilian staff supporting the military infrastructure based at Mill Hill, including the additional temporary staff recruited to ensure that vital Christmas parcels from home reach service personnel in the field; and welcomes BFPO's innovation of the electronic 'bluey', a forces' free airletter to the Balkans region, allowing anyone with access to the Internet to communicate more quickly with a loved one, with planned expansion to other operational areas in the coming months.

Signatures by party: Labour 53, Labour/Co-operative 7, Liberal Democrat 7, Conservative 2, UUP 2.