§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSON (Northumberland, Tyneside)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether in Newcastle-upon-Tyne an estimate for telephone construction work to the amount of between £7,000 and £8,000 has been prepared and has been approved by the engineer-in-chief; whether the work has been put aside for lack of capital; and whether he can make an arrangement to ensure its speedy prosecution.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONNo work of telephone construction at Newcastle-on-Tyne has been deferred by the Post Office for lack of capital. I am not aware whether anything of the kind has happened as regards the system of the National Telephone Company, but, if so, the arrangement which I am now endeavouring to make with the Company for the uninterrupted prosecution of construction works would probably be applicable.