§ 29. Mr. Smallasked the Postmaster-General how many microwave relay stations have been, or are being, con- 1226 structed in Scotland; and what proportion of the additional 37 such stations to be constructed in the next five years will be built there.
§ Mr. MawbyThe answer to the first part of the hon. Member's Question is seventeen. Of the additional 37 stations mentioned in our recent White Paper, six will be in Scotland.
§ Mr. SmallHas the hon. Gentleman considered whether that number is adequate? Will he give the utmost consideration to advancing the programme of construction in order to help employment prospects in Scotland?
§ Mr. MawbyThe difficulty is that we need the relay stations only to transmit messages from A to B. Therefore, we are limited in the number that we can build. However, I will take into account the hon. Gentleman's point. There is not a great deal of work involved in these towers, but we estimate that the cost of the six new stations will be about £500,000, which is a bit of help.