HC Deb 05 July 1934 vol 291 c2068
51. Mr. RHYS

asked the Postmaster-General the principle upon which some telephone kiosks in rural areas are erected without guarantees being required?

Sir E. BENNETT

The present practice is to provide one kiosk without guarantee in association with each rural automatic exchange. Otherwise a kiosk is not provided without guarantee in replacement of an open telephone call office in a rural area unless the estimated annual receipts will suffice to cover the full annual costs of the kiosk.

Mr. RHYS

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether the Department does in fact put up kiosks in other neighbourhoods without a guarantee?

Sir E. BENNETT

There are exceptional cases in which, I am sorry to say, we make mistakes. We over-estimated the amount that was going to be received from a kiosk in two cases, but in those cases we have faced up to the fact and borne the loss. The two villages are Christmas Pie and Send Village.