§ 97. Mr. Thornton-Kemsleyasked the Postmaster-General why his Department declines to purchase home-grown timber for telegraph poles; and how many foreign and home-grown poles, respectively, have been purchased by his Department in the current financial year.
§ Mr. HobsonThe hon. Member appears to have been misinformed. The Post Office makes every effort to obtain home-grown timber for its pole requirements. It is because of shortage of suitable poles from home sources that it has to make large scale purchases abroad. During the current financial year up to the end of September 13,466 poles had been purchased from home and 73,016 from foreign sources.