HC Deb 13 June 1901 vol 95 c284
MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, in view of the fact that the present experimental service for the conveyance of the Stornoway mails via Mallaig has been in force since the 1st of April, will he say for how long a period he intends to continue the service as an experiment, and will he give some assurance that, so soon as a definite service is determined on, tenders will be invited for the mail steamer service to and from Stornoway.

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

The Postmaster General is unable to say for how long a period it may be found desirable to continue the service between Mallaig and Stornoway as an experiment; nor can he give any assurance that tenders will ultimately be invited for the mail steamer service to and from Stornoway, and he sees no reason at present to suppose that such a course would result in a more economical arrangement than the present.

MR. WEIR

And is the experiment to continue until the mails go down to the bottom of the sea?