HC Deb 19 February 1964 vol 689 cc1190-1
29. Mr. H. Clark

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take steps to facilitate the sale of telephone directories to the general public.

Mr. Bevins

Copies of any telephone directory can be obtained, for a small charge, on application to any telephone manager's office. I believe that this arrangement works satisfactorily, but, if my hon. Friend knows of any difficulty and will give me details, I will gladly look into it.

Mr. Clark

Is my right hon. Friend aware that most members of the public find it so difficult to obtain telephone directories for other areas that they are forced to steal them from telephone boxes? Clear evidence of this is afforded by the number of telephone boxes which do not have directories in them. Would it not be very much better to advertise telephone directories for sale rather than to try to persuade the public to send more letters?

Mr. Bevins

I can only speak for people in England. I should have thought that, on the whole, we were a pretty honest bunch. I do not think that people begrudge paying 2s. for a telephone directory.

Sir Knox Cunningham

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the experience of my hon. Friend the Member for Antrim, North (Mr. H. Clark)—and I represent a constituency in Antrim, too—comes from searching in English telephone kiosks without being able to find a directory so that we can telephone over to Northern Ireland?