FORMER West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett last week called on Government ministers to re-think a ban on the public sending Christmas parcels to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lord Burnett used a debate in the House of Lords to urge the MOD to re-think the ban. He said many parcels had already been collected to to be sent to the front line.
'Last year, many were sent to Afghanistan and the response from the troops was one of great gratitude and appreciation,' said Lord Burnett, who urged defence minister Baroness Taylor to 'think again'.
The MOD decided to ban parcels not addressed to individuals after a surge in public support put pressure on the supply chain to the front line. Last Christmas, more than 170 tonnes of mail was sent to un-named British service personnel in Afghanistan alone.
Baroness Taylor told Lord Burnett the ban was 'reasonable'.
'Although these parcels are welcome, they take up capacity on the aircraft while other parcels from home, from wives, mothers or families, cannot get through.
'We want to concentrate on ensuring that parcels from family members and friends, properly addressed to individual members of the armed forces, get through. That has to be our priority,' she said.