§ Mr. GROVESasked the Postmaster-General (1) on what authority his Department continues to erect telephone poles and overhead wires in the county borough of West Ham, notwithstanding the objections of the local authorities and the local inhabitants to overhead wires and consequent poles;
(2) what consideration is given to the wishes of local authorities when his Department desires to erect telephone posts and wires in the various localities?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHOverhead telegraphic lines in streets and public roads are constructed by virtue of the Telegraph2432W Acts with the consent of the road authority, which is invariably sought. In the event of consent being withheld an appeal lies to the Courts. In actual practice, consent for overhead lines is only sought where it would be unsound financially to lay underground cables, and every endeavour is made to comply with the wishes of local authorities in regard to the position of overhead lines, so far as such wishes can be reconciled with engineering and economic requirements.