§ 61. Mr. Dribergasked the Postmaster-General how many would-be subscribers are awaiting the installation of telephones in the United Kingdom as a whole, in the County of Essex, and in the borough of Barking; what is the average length of time that passes between the first application for a telephone and its installation; what are the main causes of delay; and to what extent the delay has been reduced in recent years.
§ Mr. MawbyAt the beginning of the year there were about 149,000 outstanding applications in the United Kingdom of which 45,000 were on a waiting list; in the County of Essex the figures were 6,871 and 2,029 respectively, and in the Borough of Barking 71 and nil.
The main causes of delay are shortages of exchange equipment and lines in the cable network, but nine out of ten applications are not delayed in this way, and can usually be met within a matter of weeks. The waiting list of delayed applications is constantly changing and an average delay cannot be quoted. At the beginning of the year the waiting list was 45,000 compared with 48,000 a year ago and 107,000 five years ago.