§ Sir G. PENNYasked the Postmaster-General what progress has been made with the construction of the new Elm-bridge telephone exchange; when it will be in operation; and whether he is aware that hundreds of subscribers formerly on the Kingston exchange have for several months been paying double the former cost of calls because they have been transferred to Elmbridge in theory but not in fact?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHThe site has been acquired, building operations will start early in the New Year, and the new exchange is expected to be available in about two years. The telephone rentals charged to Elmbridge subscribers are lower than those payable by Kingston subscribers; while some call fees are lower and others higher for Elmbridge subscribers than the corresponding fees for Kingston subscribers. A large proportion of the Elmbridge subscribers pay less for their telephone service by reason of the transfer.