§ Mr. Randallasked the Postmaster-General (1) whether it is proposed, on the expiration of the licences of broadcast relay companies, to acquire the system for operation by his Department in accordance with the recommendation of the Ullswater Committee in 1935;
(2) whether the development of a Post Office service for broadcasting wireless programmes to telephone subscribers, plans for which were suspended in 1940, is now to be revived;
(3) to what broadcast relay companies licences have been issued; what is the number of relay exchanges in operation; and the number of subscribers receiving broadcast programmes on the relay system.
§ Mr. BurkeNo decision has yet been reached on the questions whether the undertakings of broadcast relay companies should be acquired on the expiration of their licences, or whether the development of a Post Office service should be revived. The list of companies and persons to whom licences have been issued is very long, and with the hon. Member's permission I will circulate it420W in the Official Report. The number of exchanges in operation is 274, and on 30th June, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of subscribers they served was 584,018.