§ 2. Mr. Channonasked the Postmaster-General what is the average waiting time for a telephone in the Southend-an-Sea telephone area.
§ Miss PikeThe composition of the waiting list of applications held up because of shortage of plant is not constant, and we are sorry, therefore, that a reliable average waiting time cannot be quoted. When plant and equipment are available, service is usually given in about four weeks.
§ Mr. ChannonCan my hon. Friend say how that compares with other areas of the country, and can she give any indication whether or not telephones promised a very long time ago are in fact to be delivered reasonably accurately as originally forecast?
§ Miss PikeThe situation is that in the Southend area communications are going ahead very rapidly. Indeed, the business is extending more rapidly than in the rest of the country. We are doing our best to make accurate forecasts when we 880 shall be able to provide services for everybody, and I can assure my hon. Friend that we are keeping this situation very closely under review.
§ Mr. F. HarrisSurely the hon. Lady is not trying to provide telephone services more quickly in Southend than in Croydon?