§ Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the statements of the Marconi Company as to the delay on the part of the Post Office in granting to the company licences for the erection of wireless stations; and what is the cause of such delay?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe statements referred to in my hon. Friend's question are not correct. Immediately upon my appointment as Postmaster-General I reviewed the whole matter in consultation with the Chairman of the Imperial Communications Committee, and I addressed a letter to the Marconi Company on the 26th March, asking them to favour me with any proposals which they desired to make in connection with the recent decision of the Cabinet permitting private enterprise to take its full share of Imperial and international wireless work. On the 3rd April, a reply was received to this letter in which the Marconi Company pointed out that their proposals must depend on a closer knowledge of the Government's policy than they at present possessed, and they asked that I should meet their representatives in conference. This I propose to do in order that they may put before me any schemes or any proposals for any licence which they desire to obtain.