§ SIR BLUNDELL MAPLE (Camberwell, Dulwich)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if the Post Office is now prepared to give the same facilities for using trunk telephone lines, with respect to hours of service, etc., as existed previous to the Post Office taking over the trunk lines?
§ MR. HANBURYTo the north of the Thames the former facilities remain, as the company still works its old trunk wires under Post Office control. The facilities with respect to hours of service are now being given experimentally at certain places in the south of England, and the experiment is about to be expended. Until the result is known I am not in a position to give any pledge as to a permanent arrangement, but there is strong reason to hope that the result will be satisfactory.
§ SIR BLUNDELL MAPLEasked if it was the intention of the Post Office to curtail the present facilities and the hours at which these trunk lines could be used?
§ MR. HANBURYNo. The intention of the Post Office is that the hours of service shall be practically the same is they were when the National Telephone Company was working the wires. Their object is, I believe, to see whether it is possible to carry on the confidential messages which are sent by day and which are only delivered at telegraph offices; and to see whether it is possible, even when the telegraph offices are closed, to obtain the necessary control over the messages.
§ SIR BLUNDELL MAPLEasked if the right hon. Gentleman would inquire whether it was possible to keep the trunk lines open at the same time that the main telephone communications were open at both ends?
§ MR. HANBURYsaid he understood the object was to do that.