§ 44. Mr. Spenceasked the Assistant Postmaster-General why it is quicker to telephone from London to Aberdeen, than to Welwyn.
§ Mr. BurkeUnder ordinary conditions, there should be little difference between the time taken to telephone from London to an Aberdeen subscriber and to a Welwyn subscriber, as direct connection is available to both places. Variations in the time of connection on individual calls will, however, inevitably occur, particularly in times of pressure.
§ Mr. SpenceIs the Minister aware that I am frequently telephoning both to Aberdeen and Welwyn, and that the toll calls always take longer than the trunk calls? Is he satisfied with the toll service?
§ Mr. BurkeWe have already said that service is not as good as we would like it to be, owing to the lack of trained operators, but there is no technical reason why it should take longer to telephone to Welwyn than to Aberdeen.