HC Deb 27 February 1969 vol 778 cc1892-3
2. Mr. Costain

asked the Postmaster-General what steps are taken to protect telephone subscribers against overcharging.

7. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Postmaster-General how many complaints he received during 1968 of excessive telephone accounts; how this number of complaints compared with the numbers in 1966 and 1967; what investigations his Department carried out into the possibilities of including in the subscriber's home a meter showing immediately the total units consumed in subscriber trunk dialling calls; what estimates are available of the costs of such a subscriber-meter scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Stonehouse

We do not keep a separate record of complaints about in correct accounts. We undertake extensive staff training and regular equipment testing to see that the recording of charges is reliable but human error is always possible. However I am satisfied that the number of mistakes is minute in proportion to the 30 million bills a year.

Providing all our customers with home meters would increase the cost of the service by approximately £20 million. Rented meters are available for £3 a year but for technical reasons cannot be used on every type of installation.

Mr. Costain

The Postmaster-General has made no reference to decreasing charges when telephones are out of order. Any other organisation renting equipment which does not work expects a rebate. Why does he not publicise the fact that he can do that if he has power to do it?

Mr. Stonehouse

Because invariably when phones are reported out of order we put them in order within 24 hours—often on the same day. I think this is a very good result.

Mr. Roberts

Does my right hon. Friend accept that, whereas I agree that the number of mistakes is small, there are some which are important in the few cases concerned? Would he accept that the degree of uncertainty must be greater for subscribers with S.T.D.? Since the introduction of meters is almost impossible financially, will he give greater publicity to the availability of meters under special arrangements?

Mr. Stonehouse

We are doing that and the number of complaints we get is comparatively small. This points to the number of acutal mistakes of only about 31,000 a year out of a total number of bills of 30 million, which is only 1 per cent. That is extremely low, but I will look at the suggestion made by my hon. Friend.

Sir W. Bromley-Davenport

Is the Postmaster-General aware that on long-distance telephone calls the lines are often so bad that, instead of taking three minutes, the calls take six minutes, thus doubling the charge to the customer? How about that one?

Mr. Stonehouse

I think that is a very foolish one because in my experience, and I think in the experience of most customers, our trunk line service is extremely good and S.T.D. has enabled the charge for long-distance calls to be substantially reduced.

Sir W. Bromley-Davenport

Ridiculous.