§ MR. ALEXANDER CROSS (Glasgow, Camlachie)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that residents in the Metropolitan districts are deprived of the safeguard obtainable by ringing up the police-stations in cases of burglary, because the police stations have no connection 76 with the exchanges of the National Telephone Company; and, having in view the frequent cases of housebreaking both in London and elsewhere, as well as recent cases in Glasgow, whether he will, with a view to the security of householders in the event of attempted burglaries in the Metropolis, give instructions that the police-stations be at once put in communication with the National Telephone Company's Exchange.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) Leeds, W.The work of connecting Metropolitan police stations with the telephone system is steadily progressing, there being now ninety-nine stations on the public telephone system, and 130 on the police telephone system. The majority of police connections are with the General Post Office telephone service, which gives communication also with the National Telephone Company's exchanges.