§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, in view of the fact that Mr. David MacBrayne, the contractor for the Stornoway, Kyle and Mallaig Mail Steamer Service, continues to employ a forty-one year old boat which has been shown to be frequently late on both the outward and return passage, will he consider the expediency of terminating the contract with Mr. MacBrayne, and inviting tenders from other steamship owners who are prepared to provide a steamer of greater speed, and in other respects adapted to the wants of the 30,000 inhabitants of the island of Lewis.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThere have no doubt been many delays on the voyage, but during the last few months there has been a great deal of rough weather in the Minch. As regards 1191 the question of terminating the present contract and of calling for tenders, the Postmaster General can only repeat the answer given to the hon. Member on the 13th of June of last year, which was to the effect that he was not prepared to take such a course, as he saw no reason to suppose that it would result in a more economical arrangement than the present.
§ MR. WEIRIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the boat is forty-one years old, and in consequence another steamer must take its place?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINI confess I do not think the service is very satisfactory; but the subsidy is adequate, and I unfortunately see no possibility of getting a better service on reasonable terms.