Racecourses (Hansard, 27 March 1957)

§ 7. Mr. Peyton
asked the Postmaster-General on what conditions he provides telephone services at racecourses for Press or other special purposes.

§ Mr. K. Thompson
Telephones are provided on the standard conditions in the Regulations, to the extent required, and subject to the consent of the owners of the racecourse. The consent of the owner, lessee and occupier is always necessary before a telephone can be installed on any land.

§ Mr. Peyton
Does not my hon. Friend think it absolutely wrong that telephones and their cables, which are Government property, should be made the medium for quite exorbitant demands? Will he confirm that such demands are in breach of the telephone Regulations?

§ Mr. Thompson
I am sorry that I cannot give my hon. Friend that assurance, because they are not in breach of any telephone Regulations. The use of the material and cables is governed by the Regulations, and a fee is charged in accordance with those Regulations.

§ Mr. Ness Edwards
Is not the Assistant Postmaster-General aware that a number of telephones throughout the country are installed on private premises and bear notices outside, saying, "You may telephone from her"? The charges are charges laid down in the Regulations. Does it not seem to be an outrageous thing that these extraordinary charges are proposed to be made for the use of telephones on these racecourses?

§ Mr. Thompson
I have nothing to add to what the right hon. Gentleman has said about what happens in some cases. As far as the case to which the Question refers is concerned, nothing that is happening is in conflict with the telephone Regulations.

§ Mr. Stanley
Does my hon. Friend realise that at least 2,500 starting-price bookmakers are asked to pay 4s. a day to get this service, which will help the industry out of which they make a lot of money?

§ Mr. Thompson
I have nothing whatever to do with starting-price bookmakers.

§ Mr. Wigg
Does the hon. Member not agree that these charges are not exorbitant when examined upon the basis of a statement made by his hon. Friend? Is it not time that the Government faced their responsibilities and introduced legislation to deal with off-course betting, which would avoid this kind of thing?

§ Mr. Thompson
That is a much wider point than the one raised in the Question.

§ 28. Mr. Lipton
asked the Postmaster-General whether he will increase the rental charges of telephones installed on race-courses.

§ Mr. K. Thompson
It would not be right to introduce a multiplicity of scales for telephone service according to the purpose for which the telephone is used.

§ Mr. Lipton
Does the hon. Gentleman think it right that a publicly-owned service should be used to exploit the public and profiteer at its expense? If there is any money to be made out of the telephone service, should it not be the Post Office that makes it and not race-course owners who, with the connivance of the Government, are blackmailing people who bet with what is one of our largest national industries?

§ Mr. Thompson
The duty of the Post Office is to provide telephone services suitable to the needs of the public, and that we do to the best of our ability.

§ Mr. McAdden
Will my hon. Friend make quite clear to those who may seek to increase telephone charges privately and who, if they do not get their own way, cut off the service without the consent of his Department, that they are in clear breach of the Regulations?

§ Mr. Thompson
Any interference with the Post Office equipment in connection with telephones is in clear breach of the Regulations.

§ Commander Sir P. Agnew
Will my hon. Friend stand up for the rights of 1122 the private citizen who does not want to have a telephone on his premises unless he needs it?

§ Mr. Thompson
That principle is enshrined in the Regulations.