Free Postal Package

Sandra Osborne MP is delighted at the Secretary of State for Defence’s announcement that a free postal package scheme for the month before Christmas will now be a permanent part of the Operational Welfare Package.  For 2005 the free scheme will run from 10 November until 8 December.  Packets must weigh less than 2kg in weight and, for security reasons, must be sent to named Service personnel in theatre.

Sandra said:
‘I welcome the announcement that the free postal package scheme for the month before Christmas will now be a permanent part of the Operation Welfare Package.  Friends and family of all those service personnel serving on qualifying operations overseas, including Iraq and Afghanistan will be able to send free postal packets prior to the festive season. Ideally I would like to see the free postal scheme extended  throughout the year but the Government has turned this down for cost reasons as dependent on a range of factors it was calculated that this would probably cost between £3m and £9m per annum.’