TELEGRAPH (MONEY) BILL.

HL Deb 24 July 1924 vol 58 cc953-4

Order of the Day for the Second Beading read.

LORD MUIR MACKENZIE

My Lords, the learned Clerk at the Table informs me that this Bill has been certified as a Money Bill. I should rather have liked to give the House some information upon the subject of this Bill and as to the purposes for which the money is wanted, and to tell your Lordships what the Post Office is proposing to do with regard to the telephones. There is no doubt that the telephone service in the country is very much in need of extension and improvement, and that is what this money is for, but I am very anxious not to delay your Lordships this evening, when there are important matters on the Paper. I think that I shall try, if the House approves, at a later stage, or on some appropriate occasion when the House is not so busy, to give some information about the state of things in regard to the telephone service which I think would be of interest to the House. In the meantime, I will merely move that the Bill be now read a second time.

Moved, That the Bill be now read 2^a.—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)

On Question, Bill read 2^a.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

Perhaps the noble Lord will be so good as not to take any further stages to-day, but to make his statement on the Motion that the Committee be negatived, or, perhaps, on the Third Reading.

Committee negatived.