§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can hold out hopes that some action will be taken to introduce into the mail service between Shetland and Aberdeen those improvements, or some of them, which were pressed upon him in the memorial from Shetland recently presented to him from the County Council of Shetland and the Town Council of Lerwick.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINPerhaps I may answer this. According to the last accounts which were taken, there was such a heavy loss on the postal service to the Shetland Islands that no additional expenditure for the sake of affording improved postal facilities could be justified. On receipt of the renewed representations from the inhabitants, it was thought desirable to have fresh accounts, and instructions were accordingly given for these to be kept. The Postmaster General will inform the right hon. Gentleman of the result.