§ 163. Mr. C. Howellasked the Postmaster-General how many of the 5,000 on the waiting list in Birmingham for telephones are in Perry Barr, Great Barr, and Kingstanding; what is the longest waiting period and what progress he anticipates this year.
§ Mr. K. ThompsonThe greater part of these areas is served by the Birch fields, Erdington, Great Barr and Sutton Cold-field exchanges, and the figures in this 87W reply relate to these exchanges. At 31st December last 455 applications were on the waiting list and 332 were under enquiry or in course of being met. New plant is being provided and it is hoped to connect over 2,000 new telephones this year. The earliest application is dated March, 1952. I am glad that the provision of new cables will enable it to be met within a few months.