§ Mr. W. BAKERasked the Postmaster-General what external beam wireless telegraph services are operated from this country in addition to the four Imperial services worked by the Post Office; the dates on which each of these services came into operation; and the location of the transmitting and receiving stations here and abroad?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONBeam wireless services are operated from this country by the Marconi Company to the Argentine, Brazil, the United States and Egypt. The first two of these services came into operation on 5th August, 1927; the United States service on 28th October, 1927, and the Egyptian service on 15th January, 1928. The transmitting station in this country for all four services is at Dorchester and the receiving station at Somerton (Somerset). The transmitting and receiving stations in the Argentine are in the vicinity of Buenos Aires; those in Brazil in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro; those in the United States are on Long Island, and those in Egypt are in the vicinity of Cairo. The stations in the United States and Brazil are operated on the beam system, but those in the Argentine ant: Egypt are not.
§ Mr. FENBYasked the Postmaster-General whether he is proposing to give the Government Overseas Cable and Wireless Operators' Association an assurance that considerations involving questions of the proposed transfer of Government staff to the communications company shall be strictly confined to 1559W officers borne on the cable-room establishment, in so far as the London operating staff is concerned; and if all the telegraphic assets of the home Government which are to be transferred are now operated by officers of that establishment?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONAs I have already informed the association in question, their representations on the point referred to will be borne in mind, but the negotiations in connection with the transfer of staff have not reached a stage which would enable me to say anything more. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.