Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has any plans for discontinuance of access by armed forces personnel to the e-bluey service.

The new contract with Neopost will mean Britain's Armed Forces will continue to receive hard copy, secure mail, including photos from their loved ones for free, with no break in service as the new imail INtouch system replaces the e-bluey on 1 April 2017. This was announced on 27 March 2017.

The e-bluey was a hybrid mail service which enabled service personnel stationed or deployed overseas to receive letters and photographs in hard copy format, but which were sent via email. e-bluey usage has declined by 98% since 2007.

The iMail Intouch system is more modern and better value for money, allowing users to send up to eight pages including high definition photographs and official documents. Savings will be reinvested in welfare provision for the benefit of Service personnel, including the improvement of internet connections in theatre, ensuring that we continue to maintain world-class communications services for our deployed personnel.

Letter and parcel services for personnel and their families will continue as before, with hand-written letters sent free of charge via a Forces Free Air Letter.