§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Postmaster-General on what date authorisation was given to build the £4 million deep level telephone exchange with entrances in Manchester and Salford; and by whom.
§ Mr. StonehouseConstruction of the deep-level "Guardian" exchange at Manchester was authorised in 1958 by the Government of the day. The total cost was £2,086,000, of which £1.6 million was spent on the tunnel itself.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Postmaster-General what was the total cost of the four underground telephone exchanges in London, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester; and what were the original estimates of cost.
§ Mr. StonehouseThe project for an underground exchange at Glasgow was abandoned after completion of bore-holes. The total cost for the London "Kings-way", Manchester "Guardian" and Birmingham "Anchor" exchange tunnels was £4,600,000. The original estimate 223W was £6,400,000. These figures are exclusive of the cost of telephone equipment, which, together with some additional building costs, would have been incurred in any case to meet the needs of public traffic.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Postmaster-General what is the purpose of the four underground telephone exchanges; and why their use is to be run down in future.
§ Mr. StonehouseThe Post Office has for many years constructed deep tunnels in order to avoid serious sub-surface congestion in cities. After the 1935–45 war it was decided that further tunnels required for his purpose should be placed at such a depth and used for such facilities as would protect the public telephone service from total breakdown in a severe emergency. It was for this reason that the London, Birmingham and Manchester deep-level exchanges were constructed.
The exchanges exist to provide through telephone connections between exchanges of the public network. There are no plans for running them down.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Postmaster-General why the existence of the four underground telephone exchanges was not revealed to the public from approximately 1954 to 7th October 1968; if "D" notices were issued to the Press about them; and why the news has now been released.
§ Mr. StonehouseThe exchanges were provided as part of national civil defence planning and were consequently subject to a Defence Notice. Since the London "Kingsway", Birmingham "Anchor" and Manchester "Guardian" exchanges have now lost their defence significance, there is no longer any reason why knowledge of their existence should be withheld and this has now been released to the public.