§ 53. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the finance, public health, and architectural departments of the Essex County Council, which were situated in different parts of Chelmsford, were connected by telephone and their telephone numbers were inserted in the telephone directory free of charge; but now that these departments are housed in one building these numbers are no longer allowed to be inserted in the directory free, but a charge is to be made; and whether he will look into the matter?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Viant)As stated by the hon. and gallant Member, the various departments of the county council were formerly served by separate telephone lines with different numbers, while under the new conditions they are served by extensions from a switchboard and all have the same telephone number. The necessity for separate entries 1741 in the Telephone Directory has thus disappeared, and I regret that in these circumstances I cannot allow additional entries without payment of the normal charges. I may add that the rental charge for a number of lines led to a private switchboard is less than that for the same number of lines to different premises.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYAre not these absurd restrictions and petty charges one of the reasons why, in this country, there are fewer telephones per head of the population than in almost any other country.
§ Mr. VIANTI would ask the hon. and gallant Member to appreciate the fact that separate numbers are unnecessary.