§ 41. Mr. MATHERSasked the Postmaster-General what action he is taking to remove causes of complaint about the dilatory service given from Edinburgh by long-distance telephone to Manchester in the evenings?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Major Tryon)Calls from Edinburgh to Manchester are normally completed without delay while the caller waits at the telephone; but short periods of heavy pressure sometimes arise, and some delay on a proportion of calls is then inevitable. I have no reason to think that there is cause for serious complaint of the service.
§ Mr. MATHERSDo not the circumstances to which I have drawn the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's attention seem to indicate that either more lines or more staff are required to deal with these calls at that time of night?
§ Major TRYONTo enable us to deal with the great increase of traffic due to the reductions in charges we have already provided 1,700 additional trunk circuits, and 500 more will be ready by the end of September.
§ Mr. MATHERSAre those all between Edinburgh and Manchester?
§ Major TRYONNo, Sir.
§ Mr. MATHERSThen may I ask whether something is being done for this particular circuit?
§ Major TRYONThat is so, and also for other places.