HC Deb 05 December 1928 vol 223 cc1212-5
57. Mr. WALTER BAKER

asked the Postmaster-General in what way the contract with the Communications Company will secure that the Communications Company will be prevented from making excessive payments to or giving preference to the merger company or any other company in which the directors or the merger company have interests?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

This question has not been lost sight of, but I am not yet able to state the terms of the provision which will deal with it.

Mr. BENN

Is the Postmaster-General engaged in making the new contract with the Communications Company?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSDN

No, not personally.

Mr. BENN

Not as Postmaster-General?

Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY

Who is making it?

58. Mr. BAKER

asked the Postmaster-General whether any of the agreements existing between the cable and wireless companies and foreign companies and foreign Governments will be taken over by the Communications Company; if so, which of the agreements will be taken over; and whether the contract between the Government and the Communications Company will give the Government control over the terms of future agreements between the Communications Company and foreign companies and Governments?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

I am not in a position to furnish a list of the cable and wireless companies' agree- ments. Nor can I say what agreements will be entered into by the Communications Company with foreign companies or foreign Governments? The reply to the last part is in the negative.

Mr. BENN

From what Department is the right hon. Gentleman getting the information for these answers?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

The information is drawn from various Departments of the Government. As regards the precise Department which will make the contracts, I cannot yet say.

Mr. BENN

Cannot the right hon. Gentleman say what Minister will be responsible for a contract disposing of Post Office property?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

I presume, in the last resort, the unhappy Postmaster-General.

Mr. BAKER

Having regard to the importance of these agreements, will the Postmaster-General consult with the Prime Minister with a view to having the point reconsidered?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

What point?

Mr. BAKER

The placing of the contracts and the agreements before the House.

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

The House has already been told that it is the intention of the Government to lay these contracts after they have been concluded. It will then be open to the Opposition if they disapprove of the action of the Government, to take the ordinary course and move a Vote of Censure.

Mr. BENN

Inasmuch as these contracts provide for the payment of sums for external telephony will the right hon. Gentleman not lay them under the Standing Orders, and get a Resolution approving of them?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

I do not know where the hon. Gentleman got the information that these contracts will include the payment of sums of money. On the contrary, they will not.

Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY rose

Mr. SPEAKER

The matter will be discussed to-morrow.

59. Mr. BAKER

asked the Postmaster-General what are the principal cable and wireless assets to be vested in the Communications Company, with particulars as to their location in the Dominions, India, or elsewhere; in what other communications companies the Communications Company will have holdings amounting to less than 100 per cent.; in what countries these companies are located; in which of these companies the holding of the Communications Company will be less than 50 per cent.; and in which of these companies the effective control will be in other hands?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

I have no complete list either of the companies in which the Communications Company will bold the whole or part of the share capital, or of the assets other than the Government cable and wireless services which will be taken over under the recommendations of the Imperial Wireless and Cable Conference.

Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY

Where can this information be obtained? If the right hon. Gentleman has not got it, who has it?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

That I am not able to answer; I can only answer from the information which I have got.

Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY

Does this mean that we are taking a leap in the dark in this matter?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

Not a bit of it.

60. Mr. WELLOCK

asked the Postmaster-General by what date the Post Office will be in a position to open a long-wave wireless telephone service to Australia; what is the estimated cost of installing such a service; and what is the estimated cost of installing a wireless telephone service to Australia on the existing Beam telegraph apparatus?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

I do not at present contemplate using long-wave radio telephony for a public telephone service with Australia, but proposals have been made to the Australian Government to carry out experiments, using in this country the short-wave apparatus which is in daily commercial use for the Trans-Atlantic telephone service. Experiments are being made with various types of short-wave apparatus, with a view to the adoption for long-distance services, of the type or types proving most efficient and economical. It is not possible at this stage of development to estimate the cost of providing a commercial service by any method.

Mr. BAKER

Can the Postmaster General give an assurance that the terms of the Report of the Imperial Conference will be adhered to, namely, that telephony will not be handed over to the Communications Company?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

I do not think that directly arises out of the question, but I will certainly repeat the assurance already given that His Majesty's Government accept the Report of the Conference, and the whole Report.

Mr. BENN

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is concerned in this matter in some way, has stated in this House that terms would be arranged for the use of the apparatus for external telephony?

Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSON

That is perfectly true, but, if terms have to he arranged, and a contract has to be entered into, I can assure the hon. Gentleman it shall be a separate contract, coming under the Standing Order, and that it will he laid before this House.