§ 21. Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will give a general direction to the Post Office to display prominently by all appropriate public telephones a notice to the effect that incoming calls may not be received and that the telephone bell does not function.
§ Sir J. EdenNo, Sir. The Post Office tells me that incoming call service is generally available but there may be a few instances where it has had to be temporarily suspended to prevent abuse of the facility. Such action including any publicity is a matter for its local managers.
§ Mr. HuckfieldIs not the Minister aware that there is a large number of these cases, despite what he says? Has he never been caught in that very unenviable position of being in a coin 440 box and asking someone to call him back and finding that nothing happens? Does he not realise that this problem could be quite simply solved by the posting of a little notice in call boxes stating that incoming calls could not be received? There is a large number of such cases.
§ Sir J. EdenI have been assured that it is only in isolated cases where there are specific instances of abuse that this happens. But I am sure that the Post Office will have noted the hon. Gentleman's remarks.