§ 52. Mr. HIGHAMasked the Prime Minister if, in view of the report of the departmental committee on telephone rates that the only way to wipe out the deficit is to increase the rates to the user, he will consider the advisability of receiving tenders either for the sale of the telephone system to a private company or the leasing of the system to a private company, in view of the fact that only by a wider use of the telephone and the installing of instruments in practically every home will it ever be possible to conduct the telephones at a profit.
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Pike Pease)I must refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 19th February.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIf this telephone system goes, as apparently it is doing, from bad to worse, will the Gov- 2381 ernment reconsider their decision and let somebody else have a try?