HC Deb 19 January 1970 vol 794 cc18-9
20. Mr. Kenneth Baker

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will publish the breakdown of the capital expenditure programme of the Post Office for the next three years.

The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (Mr. John Stonehouse)

Yes Sir; with permission, I will circulate the information requested in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Baker

I look forward to that, but would the right hon. Gentleman not agree that, if the figures correspond to the White Paper already published, they will show that, by 1972, the Post Office will be the biggest capital spender in the Government, at nearly £2 million a day? In order to reduce this burden, is it not sensible to allow the public and British industry to buy their telephones direct from the suppliers rather than through the Post Office?

Mr. Stonehouse

I confirm that the figures will show an increasing rate of investment, but I certainly do not draw the conclusion which the hon. Gentleman does in his supplementary question. I think that the country generally welcomes the fact that a public enterprise with the initiative of the Post Office is investing money and developing an excellent communications system for Britain.

Mr. Paget

Is there a proposal to devote a little more capital to providing people with telephones? Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is a year's delay in getting one in Northampton?

Mr. Stonehouse

I am not aware of the particular instance which my hon. and learned Friend mentions about his constituency, but of course the waiting list has been drastically reduced. The fact that we are proposing to allow the Post Office to invest this tremendous amount of money in the development of the communications system will illustrate our anxiety to improve that system.

Mr. Bryan

In view of the dominating scale of Post Office expenditure among the nationalised industries, will the Minister give an assurance that the Corporation's accounts will be published in a form at least as detailed as that of the old Post Office accounts?

Mr. Stonehouse

It will be for the Post Office to decide the exact form of its accounts, but we shall, of course, undertake that they will be no less detailed than those of any other authority responsible to this House.

Following is the information:

1969–70 1970–71 1971–72
Expenditure on fixed assets:
Posts and Giro 34.5* 36.9 41.2
Telecommunications 362.4 423.5 448.9
NDPS 6.2 8.2 7.6
* Including 2.7 for the Post Office Savings Bank up to 1st October, 1969.

All figures are in £million at March, 1969 Prices.