§ 78. Mr. HARRY HOPEasked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the desire existing in many small towns and country districts throughout Scotland for a telephone service, he will now allocate a portion of the five and a half millions sterling of net profit made annually by the Post Office Department towards extending telephonic communication to these districts in order that business may be conducted in accordance with modern and up-to-date requirements?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Herbert Samuel)The telephone system has already been extended to many small towns and country districts in Scotland, and I am always glad to make further extensions where there is a prospect of their becoming self-supporting in a reasonable time. But I do not think it is desirable to disregard financial results altogether in the development of the system.