§ Commander Locker-Lampsonasked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that it is recognised by competent medical authorities that the mouthpieces of public telephone instruments when unattended by officials to cleanse them are carriers of germs, he will introduce a system whereby unattended public telephones are sterilised regularly so as to ensure that users thereof are not exposed to contagion?
§ Major TryonI am advised on responsible medical authority and as the result 1647W of extensive investigations in this country and abroad that the risk of infection from the use of telephones is negligible. Nevertheless I can assure my hon. Friend that the regulations already provide for mouthpieces and receivers in public call offices to be cleaned with disinfectant at frequent intervals; in urban areas this process is carried out each week day.