HC Deb 15 February 1937 vol 320 cc834-5
34. Mr. Bull

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the heavy charge for telephoning from the Waltham Cross postal district of the Enfield area to any part of the London area, even if adjacent; and whether he will consider the desirability of reinvestigating the whole system of telephone charges in the area immediately outside London?

Major Tryon

The charges for calls between exchanges throughout the country are based on the radial distance from the originating exchanges. Thus, the charges for calls to exchanges within five miles is 1d., to those between five and 7½ miles away 2d., and to those between 7½ and 12½ miles away 3d., and so on. In addition, subscribers on such exchanges as Waltham Cross on the outskirts of London have the advantage that no more than 3d. is charged for calls to all exchanges within approximately to miles of Oxford Circus, even though many of these exchanges are more than I2½ miles away from the originating exchange. The areas covered by the respective charges in these cases are less than those applicable to subscribers within the 10-mile radius, but the latter have to pay a higher rental charge.