HC Deb 07 December 1966 vol 737 cc1328-9
33. Mr. Roebuck

asked the Postmaster-General if he will initiate research into the possibility of supplying each new dwelling with a combined telephone, television and radio cable.

Mr. Edward Short

A scheme using a common cable for broadcast distribution and individual wires for telephone is already being studied, and will be given a trial in a future new town. The possibilities of a combined system such as my hon. Friend suggests, are also being examined as part of our longer term programme.

Mr. Roebuck

In thanking my right hon. Friend for that Answer—and I yield to no one in my appreciation of his zeal for technological advance—may I ask whether he is in a position to give a date when these things will be put to some practical test?

Mr. Short

We are at present costing this possibility. It is a very attractive idea. It can do away with all the unsightly television aerials. The one lead will serve for sound broadcasting, television, telephone, the reading of meters, and so on. We intend to try this out in an appropriate new town in the near future. I am sorry that I cannot give a date when it will be done, but we are pressing on with it.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

Is it necessary to make any lengthy experiments with this system? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that combined radio and telephone wires have been common practice in Switzerland for years?

Mr. Short

This is a much more sophisticated one than the Swiss. It is necessary to have a field experiment. The costing is rather more complicated than at first appeared, but we are going into it carefully.