§ 16. Mr. O'Halloranasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will give a general direction to the Post Office to increase the number of telephone kiosks installed on council house estates.
§ Mr. ChatawayNo, Sir. The siting of kiosks is a management matter for the Post Office.
§ Mr. O'HalloranIs the Minister aware of the ever-growing demand on council estates, where large communities live together, for better telephone facilities, especially in London where there is so much vandalism?
§ Mr. ChatawayI entirely accept that that is the position. The Post Office simply has to be satisfied that there would be a sufficient volume of business to justify the expense of a kiosk. I am sure that the Post Office would look sympathetically at any particular case which the hon. Gentleman cared to raise with it.
§ Mr. James WhiteIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that Glasgow is building houses for aged persons who have to wait a long time for telephones to be installed? Many of these people are over 70 and are totally dependent upon the telephone. Will the Minister look into this and see that telephone cables are laid as the houses are finished?
§ Mr. ChatawayI am sure that the Post Office will take note of what the hon. Gentleman suggests. Certainly the Post Office—and I shall have more to say on 389 this later—is anxious to move as fast as it can to meet rising demand.
§ Mr. TilneyDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that what is needed are not only more telephone kiosks on housing estates but more telephone kiosks all over the country which are in working order?
§ Mr. ChatawayIndeed, and I have on previous occasions described some of the measures which the Post Office is taking to combat vandalism.