§ 22. Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Postmaster-General what redress is open to members of the general public when, owing to congestion or some other technical reason, they are unable to get through to the required number by dialling subscriber trunk dialling.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterCustomers who do not get through at the first attempt are advised to wait a few minutes and then dial again. Alternatively, the operator can be asked to control the call or to assist in case of difficulty.
§ Mr. Wolrige-GordonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that when this happened the public is affected in two ways: first, by the inconvenience of their getting their S.T.D. call at all, and, secondly, by the higher charges involved in employing the operator? May we be assured that in Aberdeenshire, anyway, from this month on the necessary circuits will be completed to put an end to this delay and difficulty for people?
§ Mr. SlaterI am sorry that some customers encounter these difficulties which are primarily due to congestion because of the tremendous increase in the number of calls since S.T.D. was introduced. But, as the hon. Gentleman knows, operator-controlled trunk calls are charged on the basis of a minimum of three minutes and they are more expensive to handle than subscribed trunk dialled calls. Therefore, we cannot make any concession to the customer who seeks to make a call via the operator.
§ Mr. BryanIs the hon. Gentleman able to report on the findings of the questionnaire on the telephone service sent out to 1,500 firms on 4th November and say whether, when there is a report, it will be publicised?
§ Mr. SlaterIf the hon. Gentleman puts down a Question on that point, I will seek to give him an answer.