18. Miss Wardasked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to increase telephone facilities for the business community in order that the continually emphasised demands made by Her Majesty's Government, that owners of businesses should spare no effort to increase their efficiency, may be complied with.
§ Mr. GammansBusiness applicants get priority over residential applicants and, in new schemes of development, business areas over residential areas. The Post Office is, of course, limited in its development schemes by the capital investment programme authorised year by year. My hon. Friend will be pleased to learn that in the past two years the waiting list for business applicants has been reduced by approximately 60,000 or over 30 per cent., and that since the war telephones have, in fact, been installed at one and a half times the pre-war rate.
Miss WardCan my hon. Friend explain what happens to members of the business community living in residential areas? Could he also explain why it is that, while there is practically no limit to capital expenditure by private businesses in the interests of the expansion of business, the Government do not seem to be able to get the additional capital expenditure to make their business more efficient?
§ Mr. GammansThe business applicant in a residential area is treated in the same way as business applicants anywhere. With regard to the second part of the hon. Lady's supplementary question, I would remind her that the capital investment programme for the Post Office next year is £20 million more than it was two years-ago.
§ Mr. FienburghCould the hon. Gentleman tell the House why, if the Post Office capital investment programme is to be larger, the Post Office have cancelled orders with the Standard Telephone Company, which action is going to cause the unemployment of 500 hands in his and my constituency.
§ Mr. GammansThere is another Question about that, and I shall deal with that when it comes.