asked the Postmaster-General the amount of money held by his Department on deposit against telephone accounts at the latest convenient date.

The amount of deposits by telephone subscribers held by the Post Office on 31st December, 1948, was £751,000.

In view of the substantial amount held on deposit, will the Postmaster-General consider reducing the amount asked for from telephone subscribers?

We do not ask for the £1 deposit that we used to ask for before 1934. This amount has been diminishing every year, and is now very much less than it ever was.