§ 27. Mr. Bartlettasked the Postmaster-General when the Museum Exchange will be transferred from manual to automatic operation; and what steps he proposes to take in the meantime to render it less inefficient.
§ The Postmaster-General (Captain Crookshank)Conversion of the Museum Exchange to automatic working should be effected in the early Autumn of this year. Meantime, everything possible is being done to ensure satisfactory service, having regard to the age of the existing equipment and to the shortage of trained engineering and operating staff.
§ Mr. BartlettIn order to prevent the spread of anger and despondency, would the Minister have placed in all telephone booths in London advice to the people ringing up the Museum Exchange that, if they do not at once get the ringing tone, they should not replace the receiver straight away, but wait, as this is the cause of all the trouble?
§ Captain CrookshankIt is a very old equipment there, but the staff is as good as it can be in the circumstances. The hon. Member's suggestion can be looked into, but I cannot promise to carry it out. It seems to me rather a sweeping one.
§ Mr. BartlettI was not criticising the staff. I realise that the staff and the machinery are old—[Interruption]—
§ Mr. BartlettI hasten to withdraw the statement, which was quite unintentional, and to say that the staff may be tired and the machinery is old, but that does not in any way affect the printing of slips of paper to be placed in telephone booths elsewhere.