§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, (1) whether the Island of Guernsey is entirely without a telephone exchange service; (2) whether he is aware that the States of Guernsey resolved, on the 17th June last, to undertake the service under licence from the Postmaster General, and voted a sum of money for the purpose; (3) whether the Postmaster General has instituted an inquiry as to the advisability of offering a scheme of telephonic communication to the Stales of Guernsey which will be acceptable to the inhabitants of the island, and has received a report of such inquiry; and (4) whether, in the event of such scheme being more expensive to the said inhabitants than their own scheme, or inadequate for their needs, the Postmaster General can state any objection to granting forthwith to the States of Guernsey the licence asked for, under the conditions laid down in the Treasury Minute, in order that they may, at their own expense and risk, and 850 subject to the usual payments to the Postmaster General, carry out and work their own scheme?
§ MR. HANBURYThe answer to the first three paragraphs of the hon. Member's Question is in the affirmative. The scheme for the establishment of a telephone exchange system in Guernsey by the Post Office is now being considered by the Treasury, and I am not, therefore, in a position to give a, definite answer to the remainder of the Question.