§ Major Bruceasked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will give some indication as to when the proposed new Portsmouth telephone exchange is likely to be proceeded with; and what are the principal difficulties that are being encountered apart from the present shortages in labour and materials for this purpose.
§ Mr. BurkeA vacant site was acquired for the new exchange at Portsmouth in 1938 but it is now needed by the City Corporation as part of their town planning scheme. The Corporation have offered another site, but its immediate use is dependent on the closing of a street and the clearance of four dwelling houses for which the Corporation have undertaken to provide alternative accommodation. Sub-18W ject to this, it is hoped to commence work on the new building towards the end of 1948.
§ Major Bruceasked the Assistant Postmaster-General the number of new telephone circuits provided for business and private subscribers in the Portsmouth area since the end of the war.
§ Mr. BurkeSince the end of the war, 1,528 new telephone circuits have been provided for business subscribers and 1,600 for private subscribers in the area served by the Portsmouth telephone exchange. The corresponding figures for the whole of the Portsmouth Telephone Area are 4,459 and 6,704.