asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why a record of telegrams from his office is not kept; the amount of expenditure on telegrams from the former Office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and Transport and Power; the outlay on telegrams by the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and Transport and Power during the past 12 months; and the cost of telephone calls from (a) the Office of the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and (b) the Office of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and Transport and Power during the same period.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cost of Telegrams.
115.
The actual telegram forms constitute the Department's record of telegrams sent and no special record is considered necessary. I should, perhaps, explain that no payment is made in respect of official telegrams sent from my office, or, indeed, for any other official telegrams on Post Office business. Similarly, no payment is made for telephone calls on Post Office business. As stated in my reply to the Deputy's Parliamentary question on 27th November, the telegram forms for the period prior to 1st April, 1969, are no longer available. Accordingly, it is not possible to give particulars of telegrams sent before April last. Telegrams to the value of £15 approximately were sent from the office of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and Transport and Power during the periods 1st April to 22nd May and 20th June to 1st July. No record is kept of telephone calls dialled from my office. It is not possible to distinguish between telephone trunk calls made from the Minister's office and those made from the former office of the Parliamentary Secretary. The total value of telegrams and telephone trunk calls made through an operator from both offices in the 12 months ended 30th September, 1969, was £150 approximately.