§ Mr. PIRIEasked the Postmaster-General the distance and cost of the extension of the underground cable from Warrington to Hull and Newcastle, respectively; what is the distance from Carlisle to Newcastle; whether, as far as Newcastle is concerned, it would have been more economical to extend a branch line there from Carlisle; and what is the distance from the nearest spot in the present underground cable for an extension to Dundee and Aberdeen, respectively?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAn extension to Newcastle by the shorter route from Carlisle suggested by the hon. Member would not have been justified as it would only have served Newcastle. The longer route of the extension from Warrington was necessary in order to serve, not only Newcastle, but also Manchester, Halifax, Bradford, Leeds, Stockton, and Durham, and it is also possible to serve Hull, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and North and South Shields by short extensions on this route. The distance from Dundee to Falkirk, the nearest point on an existing underground route, is sixty-five miles, and the length of a line from Falkirk to Aberdeen would be 132 miles.