§ 14. Mr. Liptonasked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones are now outstanding; and what the corresponding figure was last year.
§ Mr. BevinsThe present figure is 48,000. This time last year it was 50,000.
§ Mr. LiptonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that at this rate it will take a very long time before people on the waiting list are dealt with? Since about 1 million people are already sharing lines, cannot the. Postmaster-General do something to expedite the provision of telephones, especially now that he is making more money out of the subscriber trunk dialling system?
§ Mr. BevinsI do not think we are doing too badly. Last year we installed a record number of telephones—about 460,000. The number on the waiting list at present represents less than 1 per cent. of the 5 million people who have telephones.
§ Mr. W. R. WilliamsIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, if I am fortunate enough to catch Mr. Speaker's eye tomorrow, I hope to try to prove that he should have been able to do a bit better than he has done with regard to the waiting list?
§ Mr. BevinsWe are doing twice as well as the hon. Gentleman's right hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Ness Edwards).