§ 15. Mr. Snowasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inadequate number of telephone lines from London to the Midlands at certain periods during the day; and what plans he has to remedy the situation.
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Miss Mervyn Pike)Yes, Sir, we know that at times there are not enough circuits between London and Birmingham, and we are sorry for the inconvenience this must cause. Additional circuits are, however, being provided during the next few months.
§ Mr. SnowWhilst thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask her what is the system for analysing the number of times that the automatic "no lines available" circuit is put into effect?
§ Miss PikeI cannot go into detail at the moment as to the exact system, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that a very close watch is kept on these lines. All the time we are putting extra circuits into operation, because we are anxious to give the best possible service.