§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, having regard to the fact that the Stornoway mail steamer is 36 years old, and quite unfit for her work, as shown by the fact that during the months of November, December, January, February, and March, she was on 74 occasions late on her arrival at Stornoway, the delay on 25 of these occasions exceeding half an hour, while, on making the return journer from Stornoway, she was, during the same period, 63 times late in her arrival at Kyleakin, the delay exceeding half an hour on 38 occasions, will he endeavour to obtain the services of a more punctual steamer for the conveyance of Her Majesty's mails between Kyleakin and Stornoway?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) PrestonThe honourable Member is probably right in saying that the boat which is usually employed on the service is 36 years old, but she has been fitted with new engines during the last few years, and there is no reason to believe that she is unfit for her work. Some unpunctuality is unavoidable during the winter months in so stormy a passage as that across the Minch, but the unpunctuality is sometimes due to the late arrival of the train. In these circumstances it is not proposed to place a more powerful steamer upon the route.