§ 57. Mr. KEELINGasked the Postmaster-General the result of his investigations of the system of emergency telephone calls?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Sir Walter Womersley)As a result of the investigations, my right hon. and gallant Friend has decided to introduce an arrangement under which, when subscribers or call office users on automatic exchanges in London and other towns wish to make an emergency call, the dialling of a special number will ensure that the exchange operator will receive a special signal indicating the urgency of the call. Arrangements are also being made to improve the arrangements at the exchange for setting up emergency calls so as to enable the connection to be made more rapidly. These arrangements will be completed as quickly as possible, but some few months must 1702 necessarily elapse before the necessary apparatus can be installed. There are special difficulties in the case of the smaller towns and rural areas, and the inquiries in these cases are not yet completed.
§ Mr. DAYCan the hon. Member say what the special number will be and how subscribers will be notified of it?
§ Sir W. WOMERSLEYI cannot, and if I did I should not disclose it in the House because it might mean that the hon. Member would be dialling a little too often.