§ Sir G. Foxasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the inability of the Abingdon telephone exchange to take any further subscribers; what reasons there are for this delay; whether any similar cases of telephone installation delays now exist or have occurred in Oxfordshire during the last 12 months; and whether he will take steps to avoid this public inconvenience by greater foresight and planning?
§ Sir W. WomersleyI cannot agree that there has been any lack of foresight or planning. As regards Abingdon, it will 1753W be possible to give service to all applicants within the next few weeks. There are about a dozen other cases in Oxfordshire where delay has occurred, but in all of them the necessary relief-measures have been completed or are nearing completion. The requirements of over 80 per cent. of the applicants for telephone service within the district are met within a fortnight of application—a figure which compares favourably with the average for the country generally