§ 9. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will issue a general direction to the Post Office Corporation to the effect that increases in telephone charges of a kind intended to restrict demand for telephones shall not be applied in the case of old and disabled people.
§ Mr. ChatawayNo, Sir. I do not think that this would be the best means of helping those in need.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterDoes my right hon. Friend appreciate that the Post Office has in mind increases in telephone charges over and above what is required as a result of higher wages in order to restrict demand? Would it not be quite wrong to restrict the demand of persons such as the old and the disabled, who really need a telephone?
§ Mr. ChatawayI shall bear my right hon. Friend's views in mind. There are no proposals for overall tariff increases of the scale which he suggests.
§ Mr. Carter-JonesThe right hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Boyd Carpenter) has raised an important issue. Does the Minister realise that far from having to pay the same as ordinary persons, these people, the aged and the disabled, frequently have to pay more because they require special apparatus? Will he, please, reconsider his charges for items such as L.S.T. apparatus for the old and the disabled?
§ Mr. ChatawayAs the hon. Gentleman knows, local authorities and the Supplementary Benefits Commission have power to help in this respect. I do not consider that it would be appropriate for the Post Office to attempt to discriminate between the needs of different users.