§ 95. Sir B. Jannerasked the Postmaster-General if he has yet concluded his investigations about the differential charge of £3 for a white telephone as against a black one.
§ Mr. BevinsYes. As coloured telephones cost no more than black ones of the same type, I propose to abolish the present 30s. colour charge. But it costs the Post Office more to buy telephones of the new type, whether coloured or black, than to continue using instruments of the older types, of which only black ones are now available. I therefore propose to charge £1 for modern telephones. At the same time, modern black instruments, which have so far140W have been erected within each of the counties in Wales and Monmouthshire in the last five years; what was the cost for each county for each year; how many kiosks are required at the present time; and whether he will allocate additional sums to meet the unsatisfied demand.
§ Mr. BevinsThe number of telephone kiosks erected and planned, together with the expenditure allocated during the past five financial years under the rural allocation scheme for these kiosks, were as follows:
been supplied only when necessary for technical reasons, will become generally available at the new charge on the same basis as coloured telephones. Where existing telephones are changed at the customer's request the change-of-apparatus charge will be payable as at present. The new charges will come into force on the 1st May, and I am arranging for an amendment to the Telephone Regulations to be laid before the House as soon as possible.