§ 39. Lord SCONEasked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider providing a telephone exchange for Path of Condie, Perthshire, as this district is so remote from existing exchanges that the rentals from such exchanges are prohibitive to the inhabitants?
§ Sir K. WOODI am making inquiries and will communicate with my Noble Friend as soon as they are completed.
§ 44. Mr. WILM0Tasked the Postmaster-General to what extent it has been necessary to increase the number of night telephone operators following the recent reduction in charges for night calls; and whether the complaints with regard to overwork in this connection have now been dealt with satisfactorily?
§ Sir K. WOODThe increase in telephone traffic in the evening has necessitated an increase in the number of operators and overtime work has now been considerably reduced. The whole question of staffing arrangements consequent upon this new development is now engaging my attention. I am having a return made of the number of additional operators who have been so far engaged and I will inform the hon. Gentleman when I have received the desired information.
§ Mr. WILMOTWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman for his reply, may I ask if he will give an assurance that the complaints of ex-service men telephonists will be carefully watched?
§ Sir K. WOODI am giving due consideration to all aspects of the matter.
§ 50. Captain CUNNINGHAM-REIDasked the Postmaster-General, whether his attention has been drawn to the hardship inflicted upon those telephone subscribers who paid a lump sum of £1 for the installation of hand microphones instead of making quarterly payments and who have therefore lost 8s. upon each hand microphone; and whether he will consider offering the subscribers more favourable terms?
§ Sir K. WOODMy attention has been called to cases of the kind, but I regret that a modification cannot be made of contracts which would involve an actual refund of money already paid into the Exchequer. It has not been possible to apply the recent concessions to telephone subscribers retrospectively.
§ Captain CUNNINGHAM-REIDIs the treatment of subscribers in the past who paid a lump sum down likely to be very much encouragement in the future to others to pay lump sums?
§ Sir K. WOODI fully recognise the case my hon. and gallant Friend has put forward, but I really cannot undertake to make any further concessions. Very large concessions have been made recently.
§ Mr. PETHERICKDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that there is a definite grievance here, and will he in the future avoid anything of this kind?
§ Sir K. WOODYes, I will certainly keep that in mind in any future policy.