§ Mr. LYELLasked the Postmaster-General whether the telephone rate for unlimited calls on business premises is £5 5s. in Glasgow, £7 4s. 6d. in Aberdeen, and £10 in Edinburgh; and, if so, will he explain why so much larger an annual sum is demanded in Edinburgh than in Glasgow or Aberdeen for identical services?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe rates of subscription quoted by the hon. Member are obsolete; and no new subscriptions are accepted at those rates. The current rates are those stated in my answer to the hon. Member's question of the 16th ultimo. The rate of £5 5s. for unlimited service was that adopted by the Corporation of Glasgow for their system and did not cover communication with the much larger local system of the National Telephone Company. It is considered to be unremunerative and has not been quoted as a current rate since 1907. The rate of £7 4s. 6d. at Aberdeen was applied at private residences only in the case of persons already renting an installation for business purposes. The current unlimited service rate for private residences at each of the three cities in question is £8.
§ Mr. ASTORasked the Postmaster-General, whether the charge for an extension of telephones to subscribers on their limited rate has been raised since the 932W National Telephone Company was absorbed by the Post Office; whether the Post Office decline to grant more than two extensions to a subscriber on the unlimited rate at Plymouth; whether this is now the general rule of the Post Office; and whether there is any reason why the Post Office should not be able to offer subscribers terms and facilities at least as good as those offered by the National Telephone Company?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe answer to the hon. Member's first inquiry is in the negative. As regards the number of extensions allowed on unlimited rate lines at Plymouth, the Post Office is only continuing the practice of the National Telephone Company. The effect of allowing a greater number of extensions on one unlimited rate line is generally to overload the line, a course which is detrimental to the telephone service of other subscribers. So far as I am aware, the Post Office is everywhere offering subscribers terms and facilities which are at least as good as those offered by the company. If the hon. Member has any information to the contrary, I shall be glad to have particulars.