§ 63. Mr. Harry Randallasked the Postmaster General if he will state the extent of damage to telephone kiosks in Gateshead; how many were out of order during January 1966; what delay there has been in effecting repairs; and what has been the cost of repair.
§ Mr. BennThere were about 160 cases of wilful damage to the 64 kiosks in Gateshead last year, many were damaged at least 3 times during this period. 22 were out of order during January, but 13 of these could still be used for emergency290W calls. Most of the damage has been repaired but full repair has been unavoidably delayed in some instances because of a temporary shortage of replacement parts. Emergency service is provided wherever possible.
It is estimated that the cost, excluding overheads and loss of revenue, of repairing wilfully damaged kiosks in Gateshead last year was about £300.