§ 23. Mr. Sorensenasked the Postmaster-General how many applicants for telephones are still awaiting service in the Borough of Leyton compared with 1955 and 1951; and what is the present average waiting period before telephones are installed.
§ Mr. K. ThompsonThere are at present 381 outstanding applications compared with 1,300 in 1955 and 1,650 in 1951. Of those waiting, 131 will be connected shortly. The Leytonstone Exchange is now full and we are going on with providing a new Coppermill Exchange. There will, of course, be some delay for some applicants until this is completed next year.
§ Mr. SorensenWhilst expressing appreciation for that reply, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether, in fact, switching over to Coppermill Exchange means a further delay? Will he say approximately how long that delay will be?
§ Mr. ThompsonThe provision of the Coppermill Exchange is part of our programme for providing the extra facilities required to meet the demands of the larger number of applicants and is not a delaying factor.