§ 23. Dame Irene Wardasked the Minister of Transport on what date he received a letter from the hon. Member for Tynemouth about two telephone kiosks dangerously placed from the point of view of traffic in Gosforth; on what date he replied; and when action may be expected.
§ Mr. HayMy hon. Friend's letter was received on 24th October, 1960, and a reply was sent on 30th November, 1960. The time when the telephone kiosks will be moved is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Postmaster-General, whose property they are. I understand that the sites approved as being suitable on traffic grounds have now proved to be impracticable for other reasons, but my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General is making efforts to find suitable alternative sites.
§ Dame Irene WardIs my hon. Friend aware that the police also supported the suggested alteration of the sites of these telephone kiosks? Will he please explain to me, in his capacity as Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, why it should be left to someone like me, who knows nothing about the siting of telephone kiosks, to 1146 receive representations and to examine the possibility of danger to life and limb? Why did not the Postmaster-General get his staff to go a long time ago? Was it perhaps that my hon. Friend did not take the trouble to let him know that there was danger to life and limb with the kiosks on the present sites?
§ Mr. HayAs I have said, questions relating to the siting of kiosks are for my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General. It is true that both the local authority and the police supported the suggestion that these two kiosks should be moved. We are getting on with that as quickly as we can, but now we have run into difficulties over re-locating the kiosks on different sites. That difficulty will be cleared as quickly as possible. I think that my hon. Friend sells herself a little short in suggesting that we have to wait until she tells us what ought to be done.