Shared Lines

HC Deb 24 July 1957 vol 574 cc400-2

9. Mr. J. Rodgers

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider altering the terms and conditions whereby a subscriber who is forced to share his telephone line with somebody else is liable for the other person's bill should the latter default.

12. Mr. Gower

asked the Postmaster-General if he will cease to impose conditions of joint and several liability for telephone charges payable by persons who share lines.

Mr. Marples

This system applies to only a small number of sharing subscribers who have to share a meter at the exchange for recording local dialled telephone calls. No one is held responsible for his partner's telephone rental or for long-distance calls. We are getting rid of this procedure as quickly as we can. Meanwhile telephone managers have authority to iron out any difficulties which arise. I will always be pleased to look into any special cases my hon. Friends bring to my notice.

Mr. Rodgers

Is my right hon. Friend aware that most people undertake shared lines with reluctance? Does his Answer mean that the terms and conditions which are at present put before everyone who agrees to a shared line will now be withdrawn? Is he aware that under the present terms and conditions a man has to state that he is willing to accept the charges of the other person on the shared line if that person defaults on his bill?

Mr. Marples

I will look into that. I share my hon. Friend's repugnance for shared lines and that is why the differential in respect of shared lines was increased from 30s. to £2 in the last changes in tariffs. I do not defend this system at all. I want to abolish it altogether.

Mr. Gower

As my right hon. Friend has given this promise that he will abolish the system altogether, cannot he go a little further and say that no person who is sharing a line will henceforth be called upon to pay anything which depends on the account of the other person who shares the line?

Mr. Marples

We cannot do that at the moment. Altogether. 30,000 subscribers out of 1,200,000 are affected; that is all that the problem represents. When they took over the telephones they knew their liability and they accepted this system in preference to none at all. What I want to do by the end of 1958 is to abolish the whole system.

Mr. Ness Edwards

Is not this the only way on certain exchanges whereby the telephone can be supplied, and until some of these exchanges are either remodelled or made automatic, will not this system have to remain?

Mr. Marples

That is so. Some subscribers prefer it to having no telephone at all. The majority of the 30,000 now under this obligation will be cleared by the end of 1958.