§ Sir JOHN LONSDALEasked the Postmaster-General the number of subscribers I on the Post Office telephone system in London for the financial years ending 1910, 1911, and 1912; the number of complaints received from subscribers concerning overcharges for calls during those years; and in how many cases of complaint against overcharges have allowances or rebates been made on accounts for calls in those years?
1907W
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELIt is not possible to give the actual number of subscribers at the periods mentioned, but the number of Exchange telephones rented by subscribers was as follows:"—
No separate record has been kept of the number of complaints received from subscribers concerning overcharges for calls, but the number of letters of all kinds received in connection with accounts for local service, most of which are merely inquiries for details, is as follows:—
No. of Telephones. Year ending 31st March, 1910 … 64,200 Year ending 31st March, 1911 … 73,305 Year ending 31st March, 1912 … 81,381* (*Excluding exchanges transferred from National Telephone Company.) The cause of the heavy increase for the year ending 31st March, 1912, was the application to the Post Office system in November, 1911, of the system of prepayment for local fees previously in force in the National Telephone Company's 1908W I system which naturally produced considerable correspondence. (This system was described in an answer to the hon. Member for Penrhyn and Falmouth on the subject on 16th July.) The number of rebates granted during the years in question are 40, 39, and 42, respectively.
1910 … … … 8,841 1911 … … … 9,573 1912 … … … 17,126