§ 12. Mr. A. Lewisasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the difficulties being caused to a number of councillors of the county borough of West Ham in not being granted the facilities of the telephone service; and whether he will arrange for these councillors and all public representatives to be afforded the use of the telephone service at their home addresses, on application, to enable them properly to carry out their civic and public duties.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsI am aware of three such applications. Two can be met on a sharing basis and the third is held up by shortage of plant.
§ Mr. LewisIs my right hon. Friend aware that bookmakers seem to get telephone lines pretty easily, and does he not think that public representatives at least should be allowed to have a telephone without sharing it?
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsI do not accept that contention. If my hon. Friend will give me any concrete information about that, I will look into it.
§ Mr. LewisIf the Postmaster-General cares to look at the Press, he will see at 1356 any time that lines are being added and that the telephone numbers are given in almost all the national Press.
§ Mr. BlackWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that this particular difficulty is not confined to the borough of West Ham but is general in other places, and will he see what he can do to rectify it generally?
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsThat is my job, to try to overcome this general difficulty throughout the country, but because of the justifiable neglect during the war it will take some time to overcome it.