§ 41. Mr. RAFFANasked the Postmaster-General whether the present system of telephone charges is based upon a scheme of exchange areas, which was fixed arbitrarily many years ago; and, seeing that this system works inequitably and causes inconvenience in many districts, whether the charges for inter-communication between exchanges can be made dependent on distance and not fixed arbitrarily as at present?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe present charges for communication between different telephone centres are based mainly on distance but are affected to a considerable extent by the system of exchange areas which has practically been in force since the 1486 beginning of the telephone service. Under the revised tariff which it was proposed to introduce last year charges for inter-urban and trunk calls were to be based more strictly on distance. The general revision of telephone rates of all kinds would cause many changes in the service and would involve a large amount of additional construction and rearrangement work, besides producing a good deal of uncertainty as to the financial position of the service. In present circumstances it is obviously undesirable to create any special demand for skilled labour or to incur any avoidable capital expenditure, and the Government have therefore been obliged to postpone the adoption of the new tariff. The system of charging for inter-urban and trunk calls would involve a considerable sacrifice of revenue, but this was to have been balanced by the increased receipts from the revised tariff for local service, and it would be impracticable to alter the present system of charge for trunk calls except as a part of the general scheme.
§ Sir J. D. REESIs it absolutely inevitable that a redistribution and alteration in this matter should wait until the end of the War?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEYes, absolutely.
§ 42. Mr. RAFFANasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that it is proposed to provide a telephone, call office at Lowton St. Mary's post office, connected with the Leigh exchange, and a similar call office at Lowton post office, connected with the Golborne exchange; whether he is aware that this will cause inconvenience to the residents of Lowton, whose interests are almost entirely in Leigh; whether he has received representations on the subject from the Leigh Rural District Council; and whether he will give further consideration to the matter before arriving at a final decision?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am aware of the proposals referred to. The establishment of an exchange at Golborne was authorised for the express purpose of serving a district which includes the neighbourhood of the Lowton post office. It is reported to me that the connection of this district with Leigh is not closer than with Golborne and Newton-le-Willows, and I regret that I am unable to adopt the suggestions which I have received from the Leigh Rural District Council on the subject. If the Lowton call office were connected with the Leigh exchange trunk fees would be chargeable on calls between 1487 Lowton post office and Golborne, and the difficulty with regard to charges would therefore merely be transferred from one set of calls to another.