§ Mr. FORRESTasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the lack of telephone facilities in Yorkshire whereby farmers are handicapped, since they are not able to ascertain market prices before sending their animals many miles to market; and whether he will consider devoting some of the money in the fund set aside for telephone development in rural areas towards reducing the guarantee in order that a telephone may be provided in every village?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONIt is the practice of the Post Office to install telephone call offices without guarantee wherever the receipts are likely to meet the cost of maintaining and operating the service, and a large number of such offices have been opened in rural areas during the past few years. If, however, the facilities were provided without regard to 911W financial results, heavy lasses would inevitably follow, and I regret that it is not practicable, therefore, to dispense with some guarantee where a call office is likely to be unremunerative. I shall be glad to quote the terms under which call officee could be provided at any particular villages in Yorkshire which the hon. Member may have in mind.