HL Deb 05 July 1955 vol 193 cc414-5
LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that unscrupulous persons are giving, as their own, false telephone numbers when putting through toll or trunk calls, thereby escaping payment by themselves or their firms and imposing the cost upon others; and what steps they propose to take to put an end to these malpractices.]

LORD FAIRFAX OF CAMERON

My Lords, my right honourable friend the, Postmaster General has effective ways and means of finding out whether a subscriber putting through a toll or trunk call is actually quoting his own number. Records kept by his Department show that there is very little dishonesty of the kind described by the noble Lord.

LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCE

My Lords, without questioning what the noble Lord says on the advice of his right honourable friend, may I say that the information I have had so far is that in a great many cases no check is made of these malpractices. However, if I am assured by the noble Lord that a check can be made, I am indeed glad to know it.

LORD FAIRFAX OF CAMERON

My Lords, I am afraid I cannot add anything to my previous Answer, and I am sure the noble Lord appreciates that it would not be in the public interest to disclose the means which my right honourable friend has at his disposal to prevent fraud. However, I can assure the noble Lord that these means do exist, that they are used and that they have been found effective.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, would the noble Lord ask his right honourable friend the Postmaster General whether a simplified system could be devised to make it far easier for the ordinary subscriber to check his trunk calls account? At the present time he suffers under a great inconvenience, and if the malpractices do exist they would be brought to light more easily if a simpler form of checking could be found.

LORD FAIRFAX OF CAMERON

My Lords, that is rather beyond the scope of the Question on the Order Paper, and I should require further notice of it.