§ LORD MACPHERSON OF DRUMOCHTERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to publicise the availability of the telephone call card system to telegrams sent over the telephone and also to overseas cables sent the same way.]
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, the telephone credit card system was extended on January 1 to cover inland and overseas telegrams dictated over the telephone, and was publicised in the Press shortly beforehand. Newspaper advertisements currently appearing in the Press also refer to this extension of the use of credit cards. The publicity leaflets on the credit card service which at present refer only to the telephone credit card service are being amplified to include the new facilities. My right honourable friend the Postmaster General is grateful to the noble Lord for his continued interest in the credit card service, and for the opportunity he has given me of drawing the attention of your Lordships' to this very useful extension of the service.
§ LORD MACPHERSON OF DRUMOCHTERMy Lords, I wish to thank the noble Lord for his very sympathetic Answer to my Question.
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he will ask his right honourable friend to convey this information to the telephone exchanges? I tried to send a telegram over the telephone only two weeks ago with the use of my credit card, and I was informed that it was not possible.
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords I will certainly draw the complaint of my noble friend to the attention of my right honourable friend and try to find out what explanation there can be for it.