§ Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Postmaster-General whether the Post Office receives a credit of 3 ½d. per word from the Foreign Office for broadcasting the Foreign Office propaganda; and whether this payment is made when the Leafield Station is unable to secure communication with India and other parts of the Empire?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe Post Office receives payment at the rate of 3 ½d. a word in respect of the transmission of the Foreign Office news bulletins. When the service was instituted, it was not supposed that Leafield could be heard reliably beyond 3,000 or 4,000 miles at the outside; but as a matter of fact the Foreign Office messages sent out at 8 p.m. and midnight are received with a fair degree of regularity in India and South Africa, while the 8 p.m. message can be copied with reliability in Australia, except when the receiving conditions are abnormally unfavourable.