§ Mr. Owenasked the Postmaster-General if he will state the number of applicants for telephone service on the waiting list at Morpeth, and at Ashington, Northumberland; how long they have been waiting; and whether he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. BevinsThe figures are as follows:
— Applications on Waiting List Applications under enquiry or in course of being met Morpeth … 37 46 Ashington … 42 17 Applications held up because of shortage of plant vary from time to time, and a reliable average waiting period cannot be quoted. About 3 per cent. of the outstanding applications have been held up for more than two years.
Cables are being laid in Morpeth and are planned for Ashington. I hope to give service to the majority of those waiting by the autumn of 1962.
Two hundred and five telephones were installed in these two places in the past twelve months.