HC Deb 09 March 1899 vol 68 c271
MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Belfast, W.)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, if he is aware that serious public inconvenience is being caused by the great delay, and in many cases the refusal of the Post Office to give consent to the carrying of wires across railways over which the Postmaster-General possesses exclusive way-leave rights for telegraphs; and whether he is aware that business firms in Belfast are thus deprived of the telephone service; and whether the refusal of these way-leaves will be persisted in in view of the Treasury Minute on Telephones approved by Parliament in 1892?

MR. HANBURY

The right of the Postmaster-General to refuse such way-leaves was specially reserved by the agreement of 189G. In places where there is no competition, such as Belfast, they will continue to be granted, subject, of course, to revocation at short notice in order to place the Company and the municipality, so far as possible, on equal terms in this respect, should there be two competing systems.