§ 2. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Postmaster-General what progress he has made to this date with provision of television services for the North of Scotland; and when he expects such services to become available to the people there.
§ The Postmaster-General (Mr. Wilfred Paling)I regret that I have nothing to add to the answers given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Central (Colonel Hutchison), on 26th April.
§ Mr. Hector HughesCannot my right hon. Friend direct some of the £19½ million surplus which the Post Office has and modern inventive genius towards giving the Scottish people some of the amenities in this respect which the English enjoy? What are the administrative or other difficulties in the way of doing this?
§ Mr. PalingThe difficulties relate to capital expenditure on which there are restrictions. As my hon. and learned Friend knows, certain Departments have priority.
§ Mr. Hector HughesBut does not my right hon. Friend admit that he has a surplus of £19½ million, some of which he could devote to this purpose?
§ Mr. ScollanIs my right hon. Friend aware that the Scottish people are very gravely dissatisfied with the handling of the B.B.C. in Scotland, especially with regard to the development of television? It appears to most of them—they express the opinion very freely—that there is a deliberate attempt to make Scotland some kind of a suburb of England. Is it not about time that we got rid of that idea?
§ Mr. PalingI do not think anybody would attempt to do that. I realise that, like other parts of the United Kingdom, Scotland is anxious to get television as soon as possible.
§ Mr. KirkwoodIs my right hon. Friend aware that it was a Scotsman who invented television? Why cannot Scotland have television?
§ Mr. Emrys HughesIs my right hon. Friend aware of the great anxiety in Scotland that there should be television programmes of the proceedings in another place?