THE EARL OF HARROWBYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Post Office have considered the system, apparently operating in Wuppertal, West Germany, whereby subscribers secure telephone numbers from a microfilm apparatus in lieu of telephone books, resulting in a far quicker and cheaper service, and whether they will investigate the advantages of applying the system in this country.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (LORD NEWTON)The microfilm system of directory enquiry records which is in use in West Germany is already under consideration in the Post Office. Some directory information has been put on to film, but the first reading machine which was tried out proved to be unsatisfactory and my right honourable friend the Postmaster-General is waiting for an improved version, now on order, before considering further experiments.
House adjourned for the Whitsun Recess at eighteen minutes before ten o'clock.