Mr. CATHCART WASONMay I ask the Postmaster-General a question of which I have given him private notice: If, in view of the fact that there has been no mail communication with the Fair Isle for several weeks, and that the supplies in the shops are said to be exhausted and the perishable produce of the island lost, he can state what steps he has taken to restore communication; and also if he can state when cable communications will be resumed between the Orkneys and the mainland, and the reason for the delay which has taken place?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIt is unfortunately the fact that the mail to Fair Isle, which runs once a fortnight, has not on the last three occasions been able to get there on account of the heavy weather. When my hon. Friend brought this fact to my notice last night I communicated at once to the postmaster at Lerwick, and instructed him to find out what was the earliest possible moment at which a mail could be got there. I was informed that a special trawler would be sent there. It started last night at ten o'clock, and I hope, therefore, by this time communication has been restored with the island and any necessities of the islanders have been relieved. With regard to the second part of the question, perhaps I may inform my hon. Friend that the repairs to this cable have to be undertaken by the cable ship, which is at present at work on the Fish-guard and Blacksod cable. The work there has been delayed by heavy weather, and as soon as they complete that—and I hope it will be completed to-day—the cable ship will proceed to the Orkneys, and I hope that the work of repairing the cable which has been broken down will be commenced within the course of the next two or three days.