§ 28. Lieut.-Colonel Hydeasked the Postmaster-General how many telephones there are in business and private premises in Belfast; how many applicants in each of these categories are waiting for them to be installed; and what further delay he anticipates.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsThere are 11,000 business and 9,645 residential lines in Belfast; 1,970 business applications and 3,334 residential applications are outstanding. There is a shortage of plant in Belfast; and, while certain remedial measures are in hand, I regret that, in view of our limited resources, some time will elapse before the outstanding applications can be cleared.
§ Sir Ronald RossIs not the number of waiting applicants in Belfast a good deal more than in many other towns and cities of a similar character.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsNo, Sir. The problem is fairly even, especially in the industrial towns.
§ 29. Lieut.-Colonel Hydeasked the Postmaster-General what steps he is 1070 taking to remedy the difficulty experienced by subscribers throughout Belfast in obtaining the dialling tone on automatic exchanges.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsI much regret this difficulty, which is experienced mainly by subscribers in central Belfast. Additional equipment is being provided to remedy the trouble, and conditions should be much easier by mid-April.