§ 41. Mr. Digbyasked the Assistant Postmaster-General what progress has been made with the testing of the new and improved design of automatic branch exchange which his Department intends to provide in the future; and how soon he anticipates that this system will be available to business firms.
§ Mr. BurkeThe testing of prototypes of the smaller sizes of the new private automatic branch exchange is expected to be completed within a few weeks. If these tests prove satisfactory, arrangements will be made for the manufacture of bulk supplies. The equipment manufacturers, however, are already faced with a very heavy programme of work and it is accordingly impossible at present to say how soon the new system will be available to business firms.
§ Mr. DigbyWill the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that those exchanges are very urgently required by the business community, and that all steps should be taken to speed up the matter?
§ Mr. BurkeYes, we were giving consideration to this in 1939, but the war prevented it, unfortunately.