§ MR. LEIF JONES (Westmoreland, Appleby)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he has approved of the scheme of charges now being enforced by the National Telephone Company in Kendal, whereby all new subscribers are compelled to go on the measured rate; whether this measured rate entails a special charge of 1d. for all calls between local exchanges over junction wires, which have hitherto been free; whether this scale of charges is within the schedule fixed by the agreement of 2nd February, 1905; whether such agreement and schedule are accessible to the public and where a copy can be obtained; if he has approved of this scheme, when was this approval given; and whether he has taken any steps to gauge the opinion of commercial and public bodies other than the National Telephone Company.
§ CAPTAIN NORTON (for Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON)The rates now being charged to new subscribers by the National Telephone Company are, so far as my right hon. friend is aware, within the limits prescribed by the agreement of 2nd February, 1905, and his consent was, therefore, not necessary for their introduction. They do include charges of 1d. for the use of junction lines between exchanges in different parts of exchange areas. The agreement of 2nd February, 1905, was printed as a Parliamentary Paper in that month, and again with the Report of the Select Committee which considered it.