28. Mr. Slaterasked the Postmaster-General how many applicants await the installation of telephones in the Sedge-field Parliamentary constituency; how many subscribers are on a shared line; and what are the prospects of the elimination of the shared-line principle.
§ Mr. BevinsThere are 82 applicants waiting, and 2,043 subscribers have shared lines. I should, naturally, like everyone to have the telephone service he wants and I am sorry that at present this is not possible. I cannot say when there will be sufficient plant to enable me to withdraw the liability to share, since this depends on future demand and on our resources, but as I recently said in the House we are doing all we can.