HC Deb 30 June 1965 vol 715 cc619-20
34. Mr. Grant

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to improve the public telephone service at London railway termini.

Mr. Joseph Slater

Some public telephones have had to be withdrawn from some London railway termini because of rebuilding work: they will be replaced as soon as conditions permit. I regret that many of the call offices in these locations are misused or given rough treatment by some members of the public. We inspect them regularly and attend to faults promptly and my right hon. Friend is considering how best to make the inspections more effective. But it would be in everybody's interest and improve the service markedly if all who use these facilities were to leave them in a state suitable for others who follow.

Mr. Grant

Will the Postmaster-General consider this as a matter of urgency? Is he aware that the existing telephones are frequently very dirty, that a large proportion appear to be out of order and that over a test of ten occasions when I endeavoured to get the operator, it took me between one and five minutes to do so? Quite apart from the inconvenience which is caused to the British travelling public, does not this create an appalling impression to visitors from overseas?

Mr. Slater

We are doing everything we possibly can to speed up building and other work, but I must point out that the fault liability of call offices is greater than that of ordinary telephones because the equipment is more complicated and they are often abused by the public. Everything possible is being done to reduce the number of faults and prompt attention is always given to the faults that occur.

Mr. Lewis

May we have an assurance from my hon. Friend that these problems have not just occurred during the last eight months but have been going on for 13 years or more?

Mr. Slater

That, I am afraid, is the position. This is another part of the inheritance that was passed to us.

Sir Knox Cunningham

Will the Minister think of providing machines for giving change in these stations, because it is sometimes difficult to have enough change to use in a telephone box?

Mr. Slater

I hope that the hon. Member has not overlooked the new facility that we have introduced in regard to the credit card.