HC Deb 29 May 1919 vol 116 cc1398-9
31. Mr. SITCH

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider the desirability of establishing a public telephone call- office in Brettell Lane, Staffordshire, for the convenience of the inhabitants of that area and the adjacent districts of Words-ley and Amblecote, whose business activities suffer delay by reason of the absence of speedily-accessible telephone facilities?

Mr. ILLINGWORTH

I am having inquiry made, and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.

32. Mr. DAWES

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to a paragraph in the "Times" of the 25th May, 1919, headed Traffic in Telephones; why his Department is un- willing to provide new installations; and what steps he is taking to expedite the installation of the telephones, the con tracts for which he has accepted?

Mr. ILLINGWORTH

During the early months of this year there was a serious shortage of skilled labour for providing telephone lines for subscribers in London owing to the number of Post Office workmen still on military service. This difficulty has now ceased, but others remain to be overcome. During the War the provision of underground lines, the construction of new exchanges and the extension of existing exchanges was necessarily suspended. In consequence, the margin of spare plant in many areas has been exhausted, and there will be a shortage of plant until arrears can be made up. A large amount of work is now in hand, but it will be a considerable time before much of the new plant is manufactured and installed. The available exchange accommodation has in the last few weeks been further reduced by an abnormal increase in the number of calls, which has now reached the highest pre-war figure, and at certain large exchanges it is impracticable to accommodate additional lines. At the end of 1918 the daily number of calls in London was about 1,000,000. It is now over 1,200,000. Where plant is available telephones are being provided without serious delay. In March 3,196 new telephones were provided in London, and in April, 6,447.