HC Deb 22 March 1972 vol 833 cc1489-90
23. Mr. Golding

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many professional telecommunication engineers are employed in his Department.

Mr. Chataway

Twenty-two.

Mr. Golding

Is the hon. Gentleman satisfied that this staff is large enough to monitor the dispute which is taking place at present over the TXE4 equipment installation? Can we expect a Green Paper, a White Paper or some other discussion paper which will examine the claims of the telecommunications equipment manufacturers—Plessey and G.E.C.-A.E.I.—that they can produce cross bar equipment cheaply enough and giving sufficient variety of service to compete with the Post Office TXE4 equipment?

Mr. Chataway

In answer to previous questions I have described the procedure which I think should be adopted in arriving at a decision about the next generation of exchange equipment. The staff to whom the question relates are concerned with the main operational function of my Ministry, which is the manage- ment of the frequency spectrum. Inevitably, the relevant engineering expertise in relation to exchange equipment is largely concentrated in the Post Office and the equipment manufacturers, but the Government also have considerable technical resources on which I can draw if necessary. As the hon. Gentleman will appreciate, a number of other considerations, aside from the technical, will play a major part in arriving at the final decision.

Mr. Bray

Would my right hon. Friend define "professional engineers" in the context of this Question?

Mr. Chataway

These are professional radio engineers. I could give my hon. Friend the exact qualifications that they possess if he really wished it.