§ 36. Mr. Farrasked the Postmaster-General the number of private telephone subscribers sharing lines at the latest available date, and at 31st December in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. BevinsAs at 30th September last, about 1 million subscribers were sharing telephone lines. The numbers have not varied much since 1955 when the figure was 902,000.
§ Mr. FarrWill the right hon. Gentleman arrange for publicity designed to 393 attract new subscribers to be discontinued if it means that those new subscribers will be brought into the service at the expense of existing subscribers who will have to go on to party lines?
§ Mr. BevinsI am prepared to examine that point, but at the same time we must bear in mind that the first priority is to give telephone service to people who are waiting for it.