§ Mr. GOLDMANasked the Postmaster-General whether he can now give particulars of the investigation arising out of the many recent complaints of the London telephone service?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELCertain difficulties were incidental to a transaction of 739 such magnitude as the transfer of the National Telephone Company's undertaking to the State. These were experienced more particularly in connection with the transfer to new exchanges of the 5,150 subscribers and 1,950 junction circuits connected with the old Westminster and Avenue exchanges of the company. Those exchanges had to be vacated as their equipment was not of a modern type and as the leases of the premises were about to expire. I greatly regret that inconvenience should have been caused to subscribers, but I believe that during the last three weeks great improvement has been made, and active steps are being taken to effect further improvement.
§ Mr. GOLDMANWhat was the occasion for the great hurry in transferring these two exchanges before the arrangements were completed?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe engineers were of opinion that the arrangements had been perfected. The old premises of the company had to be vacated because the leases were coming to an end.
§ Mr. LEEWere not complaints almost as frequent before the transfer took place, and what steps have been taken to meet the general complaints from the public, quite apart from this transfer?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe London telephone service, like the telephone service of other places, has always been the subject of complaint, and the complaints are by no means new. But I think that there has been cause for additional complaint, I must admit, in connection with these two exchanges since the transfer. The controller of the London postal service and the exchange managers are in conference, and the superintendents also, with the view of carrying out various improvements, which are too detailed to discuss here, many of which have been already carried out.
§ Mr. GOLDMANasked the Postmaster-General whether he is in a position to fully meet the requirements of the public by giving telephonic connection to new subscribers in the districts served by the Victoria, Gerrard, and Mayfair Telephone Exchanges?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAt present there is adequate accommodation at the Victoria and Mayfair Exchanges, and large extensions are in hand at the Gerrard Exchange to provide for future growth.
§ Mr. GOLDMANIs it not a fact that there is a large number of applications which have not been attended to, and what does the right hon. Gentleman propose to do to meet the demand? Will he establish similar exchanges?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI have been told that there is still room in these three exchanges. Gerrard is very nearly full. The engineers have now in hand a large temporary extension. We are also giving three new exchanges to serve the future growth of telephone business in that part of London.
§ Mr. GOLDMANIs it not a fact that a large number of applicants are still waiting, and have been waiting for a considerable time, for telephones?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI do not think it is because the exchanges are full.
§ Mr. GOLDMANasked the Postmaster-General whether the royalty under the licence to the National Telephone Company, hitherto paid by the telephone subscribers, will be remitted, or will it be continued for the purpose of raising revenue for the State?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAs the hon. Member is no doubt aware, I have undertaken to revise telephone rates as soon as the purchase price of the National Telephone Company's undertaking has been settled, and to arrange for an inquiry by a Committee into the proposed new rates, if there is any general desire for the adoption of that course. The whole of the revenue of the Post Office from the telephone exchange system will naturally be taken into account as telephone revenue in the determination of the rates.
§ Mr. GOLDMANDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to keep the telephone system independent of the telegraph system in the accounts?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThey are already separately kept and are published in separate form.
§ Mr. FELLasked if any compensation or allowance will be made to subscribers to the telephone system for the interruption and irregularity of the service which is-being experienced?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELSo far as I am aware such interruptions as have occurred have been of a temporary nature, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with details of any cases where exchange 741 lines have been out of use for any considerable period, I am willing to consider applications for some allowance in respect of the time of interruption.