Service Men's Parcels
SIR.-1 recently received a small present from my son who is serving with the army in Singapore. On this I was called upon to pay 6s. 3d. Customs duty, 6s. 9d. purchase tax, and—to add insult to injury—ls.
Post Office fee ": a total of 14s., although the declared value of the parcel was only 21s.
It seems hard that parents should be made to pay for the privilege of receiving presents from a sort on service overseas: During the war troops serving abroad were allowed to send home two or three duty- free parcels each year. Presumably this concession has been withdrawn; but one would think that the Customs authorities might allow some leniency in respect of small family " parcels.—Yours truly, C. E. MAUDE. (Group Captain, R.A.F. Retd.) The Red House, Crookham, Hampshire.
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