§ 38. Mr. JAMES HOGGEasked the Postmaster-General whether the postal department at Birnam, Perthshire, is to be still further lowered in status; whether he is aware that telegrams handed in at 534 Birnam are telephoned to Dunkeld from a box which enables anyone to hear the contents of the same; and whether he can give any assurance that the postal facilities at Birnam will be increased rather than diminished?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am not aware of any proposals affecting the status of Birnam or its postal facilities, but I will inquire. The arrangements for the transmission of telegrams from Birnam Post Office were investigated last year at the instance of the Noble Lord the Member for West Perthshire, and it was not found that there was any risk of telegrams being overheard by the public.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that since then the contents of telegrams are heard regularly?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSENo, Sir, I am not aware of it. No such complaints have reached me from anybody.
MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that hundreds of complaints on this question were looked into by the Post Office and satisfactorily settled some six months ago, and the correspondence thereto is in the new post office of the hon. Gentleman's own constituency?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThat is practically the substance of what I said.