§ MR. COURTHOPE (Sussex, Rye)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General on what system the charges for telephone calls are entered upon the books of the Post Office, London, telephone service; and what precautions, if any, are taken to safeguard subscribers from being debited with calls when no through connection is obtained. I beg also to ask the Postmaster-General why the Post Office London telephone service have refused to render to subscribers monthly statements of their deposit accounts; and whether, in view of the dissatisfaction at present felt by the public, he will order monthly statements to be rendered in future.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON, Tower Hamlets, Poplar)I may perhaps be allowed to answer the two Questions of the hon. Member at the same time. The telephone calls made by subscribers to the larger exchange in London are recorded by means of meters attached to the lines. At suburban exchanges a written record of calls is made by the operators. Calls are not recorded against subscribers until effective communication has been established, and no charges are made if the 549 distant subscribers are engaged, or fail to answer, or if their lines are out of order. Strict supervision is exercised over the recording work of operators. Whenever there is an account to render, it is rendered monthly; but as the annual subscription paid by message rate subscribers in London includes a minimum payment for 360 calls, it is only when that number is exceeded that an account becomes necessary in the case of exchange calls. In the case of deposits for trunk calls and telegrams, accounts of any charges are always rendered monthly. I have no reason to think that the present system of rendering accounts gives rise to dissatisfaction.