§ 17. Mr. Fletcherasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the increasing delays that are caused to subscribers on the Canonbury exchange in obtaining provincial calls; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the service.
§ Mr. BevinsI am very sorry about these delays. As a result of the recent extremely heavy growth of trunk traffic, there is a shortage of switchboard positions at the Canonbury exchange, which serves Canonbury and Clissold subscribers. To relieve this shortage, I propose to transfer the Clissold traffic to the nearby Amherst exchange where there are now spare positions. I am sure that this transfer, which should be complete by the middle of the year, will improve the service at Canonbury exchange.