§ 44. Mr. Urwinasked the Postmaster-General what is the average waiting period for private telephone installations in the constituency of Houghton-le-Spring; and how many applications are currently outstanding.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterLeaving aside orders in course of completion, there are 67 applicants waiting for residential telephones in the constituency of Houghtonle-Spring. The composition of the waiting list is constantly changing and it is not possible to give a reliable average waiting period. The majority of applications at present waiting will be met when additional cables and exchange equipment are provided within the next few weeks, and the remainder will be met as soon as possible afterwards.