§ 51. Mr. Roseasked the Postmaster-General what progress has been made in the system of cheap telephone communications for the elderly, introduced experimentally in Manchester.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterForty pairs of equipment are available. Over 750 cases have been investigated by Manchester Corporation Welfare Department, 90 submitted for trial, and 36 connected successfully. Difficulties have been experienced in finding and arranging suitable partners within the range and technical limitations of the equipment.
§ Mr. RoseWhile I accept that the system is still at the experimental stage, would my hon. Friend not agree that it would be a very great boon to many elderly and disabled people, and when will he be in a position to say whether the scheme can be extended to other areas?
§ Mr. SlaterWe are awaiting the conclusion of the experiment, and we hope to have that in our possession shortly. If we think that it is a great success, there will be no reason why it should not be extended.