§ 10. Mr. John Hallasked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the serious congestion on the High Wycombe Telephone Exchange, he will bring forward the date of conversion to automatic working.
§ Mr. BevinsPlans are now being prepared for a new automatic exchange at High Wycombe: building is due to start in mid-1961 and our present plan is to have the exchange ready by mid-1964. I will advance this date if I can. Meantime, the present position is being improved by enlargement of the manual exchange.
§ Mr. HallIs my right hon. Friend aware that in 1959 the number of applications for new lines in the High Wycombe area was 20 per cent. higher than in any previous year, and that the increase in the volume of calls dealt with in that year was nearly three times that of any previous annual increase? Would he not also agree that this area is one of the worst served in the country? Can he not do better than to provide an automatic exchange by 1964?
§ Mr. BevinsI do not dissent one word from that my hon. Friend has said, but the thing is to provide additional facilities as quickly as possible, and we can do that only by expanding the existing 402 manual exchange. We shall have facilities for about 400 more subscribers by the end of the year, and for 900 in all by the end of 1961.