§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)To ask the Postmaster-General whether he will, as quickly as possible, connect up every post office in the Kingdom by telephone.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) A large number of post offices are con- 308 nected with the telephone system, either as call offices or for the receipt and despatch of telegrams and express letters, and the number is being increased from day to day as opportunity offers. In many cases, however, there would be no advantage in connecting post offices with the telephone system proportionate to the very considerable expenditure involved in providing the necessary telephone lines. Ordinary telegraph circuits either cannot be used at all or only to a very limited extent for telephone purposes.