§ 42. Sir HARRY BRITTAINasked the Postmaster-General what proportion of the Post Office revenue from telephones is devoted to advertising the service; and where such expenditure is shown?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONA considerable amount of advertisement is carried out by means of posters, leaflets, booklets, etc., but no definite proportion of telephone revenue is allocated to this form of publicity. New business is sought mainly by personal canvassing because it is regarded as the most suitable and most remunerative method. The expenses of the canvassing staff are borne on the Post Office Vote and those of printing upon the Vote for the Stationery Office.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINIs the right hon. Gentleman considering the advisability of putting this matter into the hands of one of the leading firms who specialise in this important side of business?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI do not apprehend exactly what the hon. Member suggests. If he means printing publicity, the answer is that I am satisfied that we do better by personal canvass. If it is personal canvass, then I prefer it to be under the control of the Post Office.
§ Sir JOSEPH NALLWould not the best advertisement of the telephones be a quicker installation and a more busi- 203 nesslike administration in the contract department?
§ Sir. W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI think the average lag in the installation of the telephone is something within a fortnight or three weeks.
§ Sir J. NALLWill the right hon. Gentleman look into the case on which I gave him some information, in which six months elapsed before the telephone was installed?
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSDo not the canvassers waste a good deal of time when a simple letter would furnish all the information that is desired?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThat is dealt with in another question.
§ Mr. MONTAGUEDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that the employment of an efficient publicity man would be as good for the advertisement of telephones as the employment of a publicity man is for advertising the Empire Marketing Board.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThese matters can be argued on the Estimates.
§ 43. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Postmaster-General what is the average cost to the Department of each new subscriber obtained by the employment of a canvassing staff?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe canvassing staff forms part only of a larger staff employed upon a number of duties, in addition to actual canvassing, including work in connection with removals, cessations, transfers and collection of material for estimating future growth. I regret that it is impracticable to separate the expenditure so as to furnish the information required.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINDoes not the right hon. Gentleman recollect that only last week he gave me the number of canvassers, which is amazingly small for the whole country? He now states that they have other duties to perform. I should like to ask whether they are paid by results.
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe hon. Member has not heard the answer properly. The canvassers are only part of a larger staff, which deals with various duties. It is extremely difficult to separate the actual payments made to these canvassers from the other payments.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINI really did hear the answer, and I should like to know whether this comparatively small staff is paid by results?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONIf the hon. Member will put down a question on that precise point, I will give him an answer.
§ 29. Captain GARRO-JONES(for Sir R. THOMAS) asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that many of the facilities that are available to telephone subscribers are almost unknown to the public because they are not advertised; and whether he, will have a simply-worded booklet prepared drawing attention to these facilities?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe Post Office has issued a large number of leaflets and booklets drawing special attention to the facilities available, and these have been widely distributed. Full particulars are, of course, also given in the Telephone Directory and in the Post Office Guide. The question of issuing further publicity literature is constantly under review.
§ Colonel DAYWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the question of putting these leaflets and booklets in the post offices so that the public can pick them up, as they do leaflets in banks?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI fancy that in some respects that is done already, but I will consider the matter.