§ 69. Mr. Haleasked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that Mr. C. Cowling, Huddersfield Road, Oldham, who is urgently in need of a telephone, was informed by Post Office Telephones, Manchester, in March, 1952, that the large number of applications made 30W some delay inevitable and, later, that the cuts imposed on the Post Office under the current capital investment programme restricted the amount of labour and, in January, 1954, that a party line was available and, in April, 1954, that the work would be carried out as soon as possible and what are the present circumstances which preclude the installation of a telephone in Oldham.
§ Mr. GammansMr. Cowling will be connected within a month or two. I regret the delay in meeting applications due to shortage of capital resources and the large number of applicants. However, progress was made in Oldham last year, and over 900 telephones were installed.