§ MR. G. HOWARDasked the Postmaster General, Whether it is true that the Committee of Lloyd's have offered to establish and maintain at many points of the coast of Great Britain and Ireland signal stations, which will be of great service in saving life and property from shipwreck, provided that Her Majesty's Government will grant certain telegraphic facilities; and, whether they will be able to announce their decision in time to allow the necessary arrangements to be completed before the stormy season sets in?
§ MR. FAWCETTSir, in reply to my hon. Friend, I beg to say that the Committee of Lloyd's have applied to the Post Office with the object of ascertaining what would be the cost of extending the telegraph to five signal stations at various parts of the coast. I have just communicated to Lloyd's the terms on which the proposed extensions could be carried out. Should these terms be accepted, the extensions might be commenced at once, and on the opening of the stations the Committee of Lloyd's would be able to make their own arrangements as to the amount to be charged to vessels for signalling their messages; and the Department would transmit any message from these stations to Lloyd's at the Press rate of 1s. for 75 words in the day, and 100 at night.