Preston

HC Deb 29 April 1959 vol 604 cc1266-7

34. Mr. Green

asked the Postmaster-General how many people are waiting for telephone connection at the nearest convenient date, compared with the numbers in 1958 and 1951. in the United Kingdom and the Preston telephone area, respectively.

Mr. K. Thompson

As the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The total number of people waiting for all reasons is now little more than a quarter of the comparable figure for 1951.

Mr. Green

Whilst I am very glad to hear that preliminary remark, may I ask my lion. Friend whether the time spent waiting for a connection is being steadily reduced and whether we can have an assurance that it will go on being reduced?

Mr. Thompson

We will certainly do our best to go on reducing it, but the time varies in different parts of the country and I am afraid that I could not give an answer which would cover all the cases.

Following is the answer:

those who have agreed to accept such a service.

Mr. K. Thompson

Information is not available in the form asked for by my hon. Friend. Since 1st January, 1948, new and removing residential subscribers have been under a liability to share their lines if necessary, although as more equipment is installed it is becoming easier for us in many areas to avoid enforcing the sharing rule unless and until demand once again overtakes us. There are 32,306 residential subscribers in the Preston telephone area, of whom 11,811 are sharing. In addition, 3,097 business subscribers have voluntarily agreed to share their lines.

Mr. Green

May I ask my hon. Friend whether consideration will be given to offering to a new customer, or indeed an existing customer sharing a line, a choice between having an exclusive line at the full rate or a shared line at a lower rate?

Mr. Thompson

That is the policy at which we are aiming and, I am pleased to say, we are getting to the point at which we shall be able to make that offer. In the past two years the number of shared lines in the United Kingdom as a whole dropped by 47,000. In the Preston telephone area the number dropped by 107.