Sitting of 18 February 1925

Preamble
The House met at a quarter before four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
BEDFORDSHIRE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, AND HUNTINGDONSHIRE ELECTRICITY BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
BEXHILL CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
BLACKPOOL IMPROVEMENT BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
BOOTHFERRY BRIDGE BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
GREAT YARMOUTH HAVEN BRIDGE BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
HOYLAKE AND WEST KIRBY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
IPSWICH CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
KINGSTON-UPON-HULL CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
LEEK URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL WATER BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
MANSFIELD CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
MID-GLAMORGAN WATER BOARD BILL [H.L.]
Read 2a.
NEWBURY CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
OLDHAM CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
PONTYPRIDD AND RHONDDA JOINT WATER BOARD BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
POOLE HARBOUR BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
ROCHDALE CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
SCARBOROUGH CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
WEST HAM CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.

MERCHANT SHIPPING (INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTIONS) BILL. [H.L.]
THE EARL OF CLARENDON: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Viscount Peel I beg leave to introduce a Bill entitled the Merchant Shipping (International Labour Conventions) Bill, to give effect to certain draft Conventions adopted by the International Labour Conference relating respectively to an unemployment indemnity for seamen in the case of loss or foundering of their ship, the minimum age for the admission of young persons to employment as trimmers and stokers, and the compulsory medical examination of children and young persons employed at sea; and to move that it be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a—(The Earl of Clarendon.)
On Question, Bill read 1a; and to be printed.

TOWN PLANNING BILL. [H.L.]
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY): My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to consolidate enactments relating to town planning in England and Wales; and to move that it be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(The Marquess of Salisbury.)
On Question, Bill read 1a; and to be printed.

HOUSING BILL. [H.L.]
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to consolidate enactments relating to the housing of the working classes in England and Wales; and to move that it be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(The Marquess of Salisbury.)
On Question, Bill read 1a; and to be printed.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH PROVISIONAL ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 1) BILL. [H.L.]
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Minister of Health relating to Denbigh, Devon, Llandudno, Northampton, Penrith, South Molton, Tredegar, and East Riding of Yorkshire; and to move that it be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(The Marquess of Salisbury.)
On Question, Bill read 1a; to be printed, and referred to the Examiners.

THE TELEPHONE SERVICE.
LORD SOUTHWARK: My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government to furnish figures as to the number of orders for telephones which the Post Office now has in hand, and as to how many of that number have been in hand more than two months. Unless I am misinformed the number of orders for telephones dealt with by the Post Office in 1924 was 19,000 per month. Of this total 69 per cent. were completed within three weeks of the receipt of the order. During the same period an average of 1,500 orders per

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month were held up on account of temporary difficulties arising out of way-leaves, or shortage of plant and building accommodation. I would remind your Lordships that, apart from national efficiency, telephone develpment in this country is being strongly pressed on the grounds that such development is remunerative to the State and therefore to the taxpayer, and that it will definitely benefit trade in a wide range of industries and consequently have an immediate and appreciable effect upon unemployment. I would also draw your Lordships' attention to the fact that in 1901 America had no fewer than one million telephones. At the present time—that is, twenty-four years later—we find that while Australia and other countries throughout the world have been greatly increasing the number of their telephones, in this country in the present year the total number is only one million.
I have not put this question upon the Paper in order to occupy your Lordships' time by making a long speech or with the desire to give trouble, but I would ask His Majesty's Government for information in the interests of the trade and commerce of the country. I do so especially at the request of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, which administers the whole commerce of the country and consequeotly speaks with the authority of a great commercial institution. Apart from the interests of commerce, however, I am anxious to give the authorities an opportunity of explaining these apparently unnecessary delays. I do not desire to go into details or to trouble your Lordships with other matters which might be brought forward in the interests of trade and commerce, such as the question of penny postage. That matter, I hope, has advanced to such a stage that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be able to announce to us, if not immediately at any rate when he introduces the Budget, that it has become an accomplished fact. At the moment I merely wish to give the authorities an opportunity of explaining. I have not made statements of a very definite or detailed character, but my main point, I think, is clear—namely, that there has been, and is, considerable delay in the production of these telephones. We wish
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to know whether the Government can state any just or reasonable cause for these delays and will tell us whether they are explained by difficulties in regard to buildings or machinery. Some such explanation is desirable in view of the complaints that are incessantly heard upon this score.
THE EARL OF LUCAN: My Lords, I think I can answer the noble Lord's Question in a very few words. He quoted figures to the effect that the number of orders for telephones dealt with by the Post Office in 1924 averaged 19,000 per month. I am informed that the Post Office do not claim so many as that. The total number of telephones installed by the Post Office amounts, roughly, to 17,000 a month at the present time, and some 77 per cent. of the orders received are completed within four weeks. To come to the precise terms of the noble Lord's Question, the number of telephone orders now in hand is 16,861, of which approximately 4,600 have been in hand for more than two months. Of these 4,600, about 1,600 are held up at the request of the applicants themselves, as a rule because the premises in which they are to be installed are not yet ready. Of the remainder, about 1,500 are in course of completion; that is to say, the difficulties which have caused delay have now been removed and the work of installation is proceeding. Of the remaining 1,500 which are still subject to delay, about 460 are awaiting agreement with the land owners or local authorities concerned for the wayleaves required to carry the necessary lines, and rather over 1,000 are awaiting an extension of plant or supply of a particular material. This last class comprises cases in which new exchanges or extension, of existing exchanges are required, and others where small sections of underground plant have to be laid, which, of course, takes up a good deal of time. I do not think I need say anything further in reply to the noble Lord. Those are the figures which the Post Office supplied, and I hope that the noble Lord will be satisfied with my answer.
LORD SOUTHWARK: I am much obliged to my noble friend for the full information that he has given.

CONSOLIDATION BILLS.
Message from the Commons, That they concur in the Resolution of the Lords of Tuesday, the 10th instant—namely, That it is desirable that all Consolidation Bills of the present Session be referred to a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament—as desired by this House.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT CAVE): My Lords, I beg to move the Motion which appears on the Paper, but in so doing I have to ask the leave of the House to make one change in the form of it by adding another name. I need not tell the House that these names were selected without any reference to Parties, but it has been represented to me that it is desirable that all sections of the House should be represented in the Committee, and the name of Lord Meston has been suggested. His name is, of course, very welcome to me and to others concerned, and by the leave of the House beg to move that a Committee of six be appointed. Lord Meston's name being added to those which appear upon the Paper.
Moved, That a Committee of six Lords be appointed to join with a Committee of the House of Commons as a Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills; that the Lords following be named of the Committee:

E. Malmesbury.

L. Gorell.

L. Muir Mackenzie.

L. Askwith.

L. Blanesburgh.

L. Meston.

That such Committee have power to agree with the Committee of the House of Commons in the appointment of a Chairman.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Commons to acquaint them therewith, and to request them to appoint six members of that House to be joined with the said Committee.
House adjourned at ten minutes past four o'clock till Tuesday, February 24.