Waiting List (Hansard, 24 April 1961)

§ Mr. Mason
asked the Postmaster-General what was the size of the waiting 16W list for telephones in each telephone area in Great Britain and Northern Ireland at 31st March, 1961; and what proportion this bore in each case to the total number of subscribers in the area.

§ Mr. Bevins
I give the figures below:

Telephone Area Waiting List (31st March, 1961) Waiting List as a percentage of total number of subscribers

Aberdeen 219 0.4

Bedford 1,126 2.2

Belfast 1,105 1.4

Birmingham 4,895 3.4

Blackburn 977 1.5

Bournemouth 123 0.2

Bradford 332 0.4

Brighton 1,385 1.2

Bristol 103 0.1

Cambridge 567 0.9

Canterbury 881 1.2

Cardiff 1,289 1.7

Chester 591 1.1

Colchester 234 0.5

Coventry 2,616 4.2

Dundee 70 0.2

Edinburgh 176 0.2

Exeter Nil Nil

Glasgow 1,195 0.7

Gloucester 558 1.1

Guildford 1,363 2.2

Lancaster 426 1.0

Leeds 934 1.0

Leicester 507 0.7

Lincoln 1,099 2.2

Liverpool 446 0.2

London, Centre Nil Nil

London, City Nil Nil

London, East 1,330 0.8

London, North 1,049 0.5

London, North-west Nil Nil

London, South-east 139 0.1

London, South-west 2,034 0.8

London, West 3,618 1.8

Manchester 2,768 1.3

Middlesbrough 632 1.2

Newcastle-on-Tyne 1,474 1.4

Norwich 137 0.3

Nottingham 523 0.5

Oxford 3,044 5.4

Peterborough 158 0.4

Plymouth 35 0.1

Portsmouth 999 1.8

Preston 1,226 1.6

Reading 2,399 3.3

Scotland, West 1,353 0.4

Sheffield 1,040 1.4

Shrewsbury 422 0.9

Southampton 145 0.3

Southend-on-Sea 1,748 3.1

Stoke-on-Trent 61 0.1

Swansea 36 0.1

Taunton Nil Nil

Tunbridge Wells 506 0.8

West Midland 3,434 4.3

York 375 0.8

17W

§ Mr. Mason
asked the Postmaster-General what progress he expects to make in reducing the order list, and the waiting list, for telephones during the year 1961–62; and at what figures he expects the waiting list, and order list, respectively, will stand by 31st March, 1961.

§ Mr. Bevins
I cannot at present add to what I said on this subject in the White Paper on Post Office Prospects 1961–62 (Cmnd. 1327). If telephone demand continues at its present record level, it will be difficult to prevent the order list and the waiting list from rising, but naturally I shall do my best to avoid this.

Telephone Area	Waiting List (31st March, 1961)	Waiting List as a percentage of total number of subscribers
Aberdeen	219	0.4
Bedford	1,126	2.2
Belfast	1,105	1.4
Birmingham	4,895	3.4
Blackburn	977	1.5
Bournemouth	123	0.2
Bradford	332	0.4
Brighton	1,385	1.2
Bristol	103	0.1
Cambridge	567	0.9
Canterbury	881	1.2
Cardiff	1,289	1.7
Chester	591	1.1
Colchester	234	0.5
Coventry	2,616	4.2
Dundee	70	0.2
Edinburgh	176	0.2
Exeter	Nil	Nil
Glasgow	1,195	0.7
Gloucester	558	1.1
Guildford	1,363	2.2
Lancaster	426	1.0
Leeds	934	1.0
Leicester	507	0.7
Lincoln	1,099	2.2
Liverpool	446	0.2
London, Centre	Nil	Nil
London, City	Nil	Nil
London, East	1,330	0.8
London, North	1,049	0.5
London, North-west	Nil	Nil
London, South-east	139	0.1
London, South-west	2,034	0.8
London, West	3,618	1.8
Manchester	2,768	1.3
Middlesbrough	632	1.2
Newcastle-on-Tyne	1,474	1.4
Norwich	137	0.3
Nottingham	523	0.5
Oxford	3,044	5.4
Peterborough	158	0.4
Plymouth	35	0.1
Portsmouth	999	1.8
Preston	1,226	1.6
Reading	2,399	3.3
Scotland, West	1,353	0.4
Sheffield	1,040	1.4
Shrewsbury	422	0.9
Southampton	145	0.3
Southend-on-Sea	1,748	3.1
Stoke-on-Trent	61	0.1
Swansea	36	0.1
Taunton	Nil	Nil
Tunbridge Wells	506	0.8
West Midland	3,434	4.3
York	375	0.8