HC Deb 30 May 1968 vol 765 cc2120-1
25 and 26. Mr. Eadie

asked the Postmaster-General (1) how many subscribers in Midlothian have shared telephone lines; and if he will list the numbers in each town or landward area;

(2) what steps are being taken in the county of Midlothian to offer subscribers on shared telephone lines the choice of their own telephone line.

The Assistant Postmaster-General (Mr. Joseph Slater)

The information is not readily available in the form requested, but I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the numbers of shared service subscribers in the exchange wholly or partly serving the County of Midlothian. As elsewhere in the country, we are providing additional cables to meet the demand for telephone service, and our aim is eventually to provide exclusive service for all who ask for it. As our resources are limited we are not yet able to achieve this as quickly as we should like.

Mr. Eadie

Will my hon. Friend tell me the circumstances by which a customer sharing a line may make application for an exclusive line? How does the county of Midlothian compare with the rest of the country?

Mr. Slater

Customers may be given an exclusive line if they ask for it and if local conditions permit. Their liability again to share, should it be required, remains. Answering the second part of the question, 17.3 per cent. of the working connections are shared compared with a United Kingdom average of 18.9 per cent.

The information is as follows:

Exchange Number of Shared Service Subscribers
Dalkeith … … … 260
Ford … … … 32
Fountainhall … … … —
Gorebridge … … … 32
Heriot … … … 9
Lasswade … … … 214
Livingston … … … 29
Loanburn … … … 75
Loanhead … … … 45
Mid Calder … … … 77
Musselburgh … … … 340
Newbattle … … … 134
Penicuik … … … 250
Pentland … … … 164
Ratho … … … 47
Roslin … … … 79
Stow … … … 6
Temple … … … 7
West Calder … … … 73
Total … … … 1,873