§ Lord APSLEYasked the Postmaster-General the landing charges on press 1291W cables and wireless messages, respectively, in the different chief countries of the world, including Great Britain?
§ Sir K. WOODThe International Telegraph Regulations, which have been adopted by all the chief countries except Canada and the United States of America, provide that the terminal and transit charges for European press telegrams shall be half those for ordinary private telegrams, and not more than half for other press telegrams. The terminal charges of the United Kingdom for European press telegrams thus range from 3½ to 6 gold centimes a word according to the destination (or origin) of the telegrams. The transit charge is 3½ gold centimes, except in one case where it is 3 gold centimes. The terminal charges of the other chief European countries for European press telegrams are similar, except in the Soviet Union and Turkey, where maximum terminal charges of 17½ gold centimes and 10 gold centimes respectively are allowed. The maximum1292W transit charge is 3½ gold centimes a word for most countries, 7½ gold centimes for Turkey and 15 gold centimes for the Soviet Union. In the extra-European system the press telegram services are mainly provided by telegraph companies. and the rates are in many cases less than half the ordinary private rates. No information is available as to what proportion of the charge the various companies regard as appropriate to this terminal service. In the few cases where extra-European press telegrams are handled by the Post Office, the terminal charge due to the Post Office is reduced in the same proportion as the company's total press rate, subject to the normal minimum of 1s. per telegram. No details are published as to the terminal or transit charges in other countries on extra-European press telegrams. The International regulations provide that the same terminal rates must be applicable on all routes whether cable or wireless, between any two countries.