§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Postmaster-General whether a private telegraph wire held under lease may be used for the transmission of telegraph messages for payment; whether a private renter uses a wire solely for the transmission of messages in relation to his own business; whether the Press Association proposes to receive payment from individual newspaper owners for the service which it will render; whether the Press 1947W Association will take to that extent the transmission of new services from the Postmaster-General; and whether he will reconsider this arrangement?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHPrivate telegraph wires held under lease may, under the Telegraph Act, 1869, be used for the transmission of any telegrams for payment or otherwise, by the licence or consent of the Postmaster-General. Without such licence they may be used only for the transmission of messages in relation to the business or private affairs of the renters. The Press Association will, no doubt, receive payment from individual newspaper owners for its services under the experimental scheme which I explained in -answers to the hon. Member for Nottingham on the 6th and 17th instant, and to that extent it will, with my permission, relieve the Post Office of the transmission of certain unremunerative messages.