§ MR. A. D. PROVAND (Glasgow, Blackfriars)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he can state the amount expended on the Telephone Trunk wires and the amount earned by them from the date they were taken over from the National Telephone Company to the 30th June last?
§ MR. HANBURYThe capital expenditure (partly estimated) on telephone trunk lines during the period in question was £199,184. The expenses of maintenance cannot be stated. The gross earnings for the same period amounted to £133,514.
§ MR. PROVANDasked why the expenses of maintenance could not be stated?
§ MR. HANBURYBecause the expenses of telephone maintenance are included and cannot be separated from that for telegraph maintenance.
§ MR. PROVANDasked whether it would not be possible to lay an annual statement on the subject before the House?
§ MR. HANBURYsaid that he was afraid that that could not be done.