Mr. ROSTRON DUCKWORTHasked the Postmaster-General when he proposes to extend to Manchester the system under which it will be possible for calls intended for an absent subscriber to be recorded in his absence for his ultimate information?
§ Sir W. WOMERSLEYManchester has been selected as suitable for an experiment in the provision of the absent subscriber service in an automatic telephone area. Special equipment, however, is necessary with automatic exchanges, and development work is proceeding in that connection. I hope that this work will soon reach a stage when definite orders can be placed with the manufacturers; but some considerable period must elapse before the service can be opened.