§ MR. MACALEESE (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, if in the branch telegraph sub-offices of Belfast, which are offices for the despatch but not the receiving of telegrams, there is any established system of reliefs through which assistants in such offices may have practice occasionally in the receiving of telegraphic messages; are all branch sub-offices in Belfast sufficiently provided with lavatory and other necessary sanitary accommodation for the assistants employed therein; and, if not, will he state whether the official in charge of the Department is responsible; and will the Postmaster-General permit, as he has so satisfactorily done in the case of 1010 the Belfast central office, the sanitary authority to inspect these sub-offices.
§ MR. HANBURYThere are two, branch post offices in Belfast, which despatch but do not receive telegrams. In these cases the staff is established, and their duties rotate with those of the head office staff. There are also several town sub-post offices, which despatch but do not receive telegrams. In these cases the assistants are not established, but are servants of the sub-postmasters, and they have no opportunity of receiving telegrams. Both the branch post offices are provided with adequate lavatory and sanitary accommodation, and there is no objection to the local sanitary authority inspecting them; but the sub-post offices being on the private premises of the sub-postmasters, the Department has no power, as regards them, to give permission for an inspection, but they are subject to the ordinary sanitary regulations of the town.