HC Deb 18 December 1957 vol 580 c403
30. Mr. Hurd

asked the Postmaster-General how many new subscribers have been connected to the telephone in the Reading and Newbury districts in the past year; how many subscribers gave up the telephone; and how many applicants are waiting for telephone installation.

Mr. Marples

For Reading the figures are 925, 284 and 610, and for Newbury 225, 121 and 74.

Mr. Hurd

Those figures sound pretty satisfactory. Is my right hon. Friend able to say how long it is likely to be before he can catch up with the backlog of applications for connection to the telephone service in these areas?

Mr. Marples

Of the outstanding applications in Reading, nearly two-thirds are in course of provision and the remainder are waiting for line plant. In Newbury half the applications are in course of provision and the others are waiting for lines. In the two areas combined there has been a reduction of 220 in the outstanding applications in the last twelve months.