§ Mr. Iremongerasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that capital investment in the telephone service at the present rate would take more than 20 years to clear the hard core of 70,000 applications on the waiting list for 99W telephones; and what are his plans for increasing such investment.
§ Mr. MarplesWe hope to connect about 370,000 new telephones this year. These will include, as new plant becomes available, many of the applications at present on the waiting list as well as new applications. In the past quarter the waiting list has been reduced by 7,500 to 60,000.
The composition of the waiting list is changing all the time. I cannot say when it will finally disappear since this depends on future demand and on Government decisions about the future level of Post Office investment, which I cannot anticipate.