§ 70. Mr. C. DUNCANasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the naval authorities admit the right of the Post Office to control the telegraphic arrangements at the Admiralty; whether he is aware that the Post Office have superseded the officer in charge of the Admiralty telegraph department, although he has given every satisfaction to the Admiralty and has performed his duties with great credit; and whether, seeing that the successor has no experience of the special duties at the Admiralty and is not even acquainted with the special signals required, he will cause the fullest inquiry to be made in order that the efficiency of the Services may be safeguarded and injustice may be avoided?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe Postmaster-General is administratively responsible for the efficiency of the telegraph office at the Admiralty, and as regards any questions relating to its personnel I must refer my hon. Friend to him. As regards the second and third parts of the question, my hon. Friend should see the answer given by the Postmaster-General to the hon. Member for North Somerset on 24th October.
§ 71. Mr. DUNCANasked the Postmaster-General whether it was with his authority that the assistant superintendent in charge of the telegraphs at the Admiralty has been superseded by a man who has no experience of the special naval work; whether the man superseded has given every satisfaction to the Admiralty for many years and has been replaced on the recommendation of an official from the Post Office who is specially interested in the substitution of men from the Central Telegraph Office for controlling officers in the Metropolitan districts?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Illingworth)I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Devonport on the 24th ultimo.