Mr. De la Bèreasked the Postmaster General whether he is making plans for 70W the development of the telephone services throughout the country in the rural areas and villages at the conclusion of hostilities; and if he will give an assurance that it is his intention to ensure that every village is provided with a public telephone kiosk at the earliest possible date after the conclusion of hostilities.
§ Captain Crookshank.The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes, Sir"; but my hon. Friend will realise that progress must depend largely on the availability of materials and skilled labour. As regards telephone kiosks, it is the Post Office policy to provide a public kiosk at every village on the mainland where there is a post office. There are a few cases where it was not practicable to provide a kiosk up to the outbreak of war, and these will be dealt with as soon as conditions permit. At villages without a post office, a public telephone kiosk will be provided, if the local authority agrees to pay the rental of an ordinary private subscriber's telephone line (at present £4 a year) for a period of five years, as a small contribution towards the heavy expenses involved.