HC Deb 07 July 1924 vol 175 cc1920-2

Resolution reported, That it is expedient—

  1. (1) to authorise the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of such sums, not exceeding in the whole seventeen million pounds, as are required for the further development of the telephonic system and to authorise the Treasury to borrow money, by means of terminable annuities or by the issue of Exchequer bonds, for the issue of 1921 such sums or the repayment thereof to the Consolidated Fund, and to provide for the payment of the terminable annuities or of the principal of and interest on any such Exchequer bonds out of moneys provided by Parliament for Post Office services or, if those moneys are insufficient, out of the Consolidated Fund; and
  2. (2) to make provision with respect to the application of sums arising from the sale of any property acquired for the purposes of the telephonic system."

Resolution read a Second time.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution."

Major MOULTON

I would like to ask the House to insist upon a much clearer answer from the Postmaster-General as to the extension of telephone facilities in agricultural districts. On the last occasion, the Postmaster-General, almost discourteously, refused to give any answer to the questions put to him. I would ask the House not to agree to this Report until such explanation has been given. It is a very vital question in agricultural districts. As I have pointed out time after time, one of the first things that we want to do if we are to put farming on a commercial basis is to insist upon the extension of telephone facilities.

Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY

This Resolution deals with a sum of £17,000,000. I do not think it is a good thing to debate these large Votes after eleven o'clock. I objected to this procedure under the last three Governments, and I am sure the present Government will not object to my being consistent in this matter. I would like to ask the Postmaster-General a question with regard to the district which I represent. Whenever there is a hard winter and a heavy fall of snow, communications between Hull and certain great centres such as Birmingham are interrupted, by telegraph and telephone wires breaking down, owing to the weight of the snow. The remedy is to put the wires underground, and that is being done, but very slowly. I want to know what progress is being made in the cutting of the trenches for laying these wires underground? I take it that the money is for this purpose. In these times, when work is slack, and many men are looking for employment, there is no excuse for not pushing on with This work very rapidly. This is the time of year when the weather is fine and the days are long, in which this work ought to be done.

The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Trevelyan)

I beg to move, "That the Debate be now adjourned." I am sorry that my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General, who expected to be here to-night, is not able to be present, and therefore I think it better that the Resolution should be postponed.

Question, "That the Debate be now adjourned," put, and agreed to.

Debate to be resumed To-morrow.