§ Mr. L. SCOTTasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been 1999W drawn to complaints received by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce that cables despatched from India at ordinary message rates are frequently delayed in delivery for five or six days, whereas those despatched at the urgent rate of 5s. per word are delivered promptly; whether this has given rise to a suspicion on the part of traders that they are being forced to send their cables at the dearer rate in order to ensure delivery within a reasonable time; and whether, in view of the present position of trade and the obvious importance of removing all unnecessary difficulties in the way of commercial undertakings, he will take effective steps to prevent delays occurred in the delivery of cable messages sent at ordinary rates?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYI would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave yesterday to a similar question by the hon. and gallant Member for Moss Side (Lieut.-Colonel Hurst). The delays are due to unavoidable interruptions in some of the Eastern Company's cables, which I am informed will shortly be repaired. There is no foundation for the suggestion that the delay is artificially increased in order to divert ordinary traffic to the urgent service.