HC Deb 13 July 1967 vol 750 cc989-90
17. Mr. Ellis

asked the Postmaster-General what is the average number of times daily a telephone subscriber is called to the telephone in the Bristol area to find that the caller has the wrong number; and whether this number is higher than the national average.

Mr. Joseph Slater

Once in three months, on average. This is less than the national figure.

Mr. Ellis

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Does he agree that the number of mis-phone calls through errors of dialling is still too high? The dialling system is even more complex—[HON. MEMBERS: "Question."] Will he make available propaganda and information courses to enable people to understand the system?

Mr. Slater

In response to the supplementary question and the constituency interest my hon. Friend has, I can do no better than to say that there have been seven complaints from the Avonmouth subscribers. Three were due to plant faults, one was a dialling mistake and three were due to subscribers' faults.

Mr. Speaker

Mr. Paul Bryan.

Mr. Ellis

Is it in order to give the substance of the Answer the second time round and give an hon. Member no chance to come back to it?

Mr. Speaker

That is quite in order. Mr. Paul Bryan.

Mr. Bryan

If this is less than the national average, may we know what the national average is?

Mr. Slater

Not without notice.