HC Deb 25 June 1973 vol 858 cc1110-2
3. Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many people were sharing telephones at the latest available date; and how many of them have expressed a wish to have separate instruments.

Sir J. Eden

At 31st March last just over 2 million subscribers had shared telephone service. The Post Office does not keep separate statistics of those who request exclusive service.

Mr. Wainwright

Surely the right hon. Gentleman must realise that if the Post Office wants to create an efficient telephone service throughout the country it has not only to remove from the waiting list those who are now on it, but must also provide those who wish it with a telephone of their own. Who is holding up the provision of a greater number of telephones? Is it the Government, by refusing to grant money for investment, or is it the supplier, who is failing to meet orders from the Post Office?

Sir J. Eden

It is neither. It is the fact that it takes time to match the availability of new exchange equipment for subscribers' lines to the enormous growth in demand. The Post Office shares the objectives to which the hon. Gentleman referred. It has plans for the progressive reduction of the shared service in the coming years, and eventually for its virtual elimination, but let no one kid himself that this can be done overnight.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the shared service, introduced as a result of the war, should have a firm phasing-out date and that we ought not to accept the rather glib assurances given to him—not by him—by the Post Office, which it has given to successive holders of my right hon. Friend's office and previous office?

Sir J. Eden

As my hon. Friend will readily accept, were it not for the shared service scheme some of those who apply for a telephone service would not be able to have it. Many people are willing to accept the shared service in order to get some service at this stage. I emphasise that the Post Office is determined to press ahead, in conjunction with the supplying industry, as fast as it can to eliminate the need for this temporary situation.

Mr. John Grant

Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm reports that have appeared today that, following the announcement about postal charges going up, telecommunications charges are to go up as well, with clearly a further appalling impact on the retail price index? What effect does the right hon. Gentleman expect that to have on the demand for telephones?

Sir J. Eden

I am not in a position to comment on that. I have no firm proposition before me, and I am not aware that the Post Office has made any application on this matter to the Price Commission.

Mrs. Knight

Is my right hon. Friend aware that many elderly subscribers can just afford to have a telephone if they have a shared line and would find it extremely difficult suddenly to be told that they could no longer have a shared line? Will my right hon. Friend consider that, with a view to helping these elderly people?

Sir J. Eden

My hon. Friend has touched on a particular aspect of the problem, and it is obviously the case that where people use the line only intermittently they would be prepared to share that facility with others. The fact remains, however, that the Post Office does not like that and wants to get to the point at which there is a universal exclusive service, and its investment plans are based upon that idea.

Mr. Kelley

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Post Office ought to have the information which he says it does not have because, before shared lines are installed, it asks people whether they are prepared to share the service, or informs them that they must share the line with someone else? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the inconvenience of having a shared line? My line was shared until Friday last. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Dearne Valley (Mr. Edwin Wainwright) for putting down this Question, because apparently it has had some effect on the engineering department. My line became exclusive last Friday, but it is a great inconvenience——

Mr. Speaker

Order. This is Question Time. The hon. Member is providing interesting information but is not asking a question.

Mr. Kelley

I am merely suggesting, Mr. Speaker, that this information ought to be collated by the Post Office in order to find out the kind of objections that there are to sharing a line. It is a considerable inconvenience to subscribers.

Sir J. Eden

I am glad to hear that the hon. Gentleman no longer has to share his line with anybody else but, as my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight) said, I suspect that there are one or two people who benefit from the reduction in cost to them of doing this. However, the fact remains that the Post Office is pressing ahead to try to bring this business of a shared line to an end.