§ 5. Lieut.-Colonel Cordeauxasked the Postmaster-General how many new telephones were installed in Nottingham in 361 1953, 1954 and 1955, respectively; the average waiting time in each of these three years: and how many applications were still outstanding on 31st December in these three years.
§ Mr. AlportAs the reply includes a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Lieut.-Colonel CordeauxI thank my hon. Friend for what I know those figures will disclose. May I ask whether it is not the case that the increase in applications for telephones in Nottingham last year was the greatest throughout the country; that many business firms are being asked to wait up to two years for installations in new premises and that private householders will have to wait a good deal longer? May I ask also whether my hon. Friend will look at the allocations again to see whether Nottingham is entitled to a slightly larger slice of the national telephone cake.
§ Mr. AlportMy hon. and gallant Friend is correct in saying that there has been an increased demand in Nottingham, as in other parts of the country, but I can tell him that during the forthcoming year we hope to supply 4,720 new telephones against a demand estimated at 4,260, which means that we shall be catching up.
§ The reply is as follows:
| — | Telephones installed | Applications outstanding |
| 1953 | 2,389 | 3,395 |
| 1954 | 3,041 | 4,102 |
| 1955 | 3,817 | 4,579 |
| The present order list includes about 600 applications in course of being met, and we hope to install about 4,700 telephones in Nottingham this year. | ||
| Information regarding average waiting times is not available. |