§ 19. Mr. Lewisasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that a person who, a few years ago, deposited £5 with him for the installation of a telephone service now finds that when claiming this deposit back it has lost more than a quarter of its value; and whether he will arrange that, on repayment of this deposit, a person will be able to reclaim the £5 plus compensation for depreciation in value.
§ Mr. MarplesDeposits are now only asked for as financial security, and I am sure any depreciation in their value will be more than offset by the benefits of having a telephone.
§ Mr. LewisIs not it unfair that the Government should be guilty of causing inflation and the depreciation in the value of the £ by making these people pay a £5 deposit? When they try to get it back, do not they find that—because the Government have increased the charges in order to give, quite rightly, the employees a decent standard and recompense them for the increased cost of living—they are 25 per cent. down? Surely, the Government ought to recompense them for having deposited this money for a number of years and for the loss in which they are involved?
§ Mr. MarplesI would remind the hon. Gentleman that if the bills are paid promptly, which I am sure all his constituents always do, the deposit is returned.