§ LORD WINDLESHAMasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made with the experimental scheme mounted by the G.P.O. in Manchester for linking 538WA the homes of elderly, sick or housebound persons with those of their neighbours by means of existing electricity cables, which was referred to by the then Postmaster General in a speech at Bristol on 2nd July, 1966.
§ LORD SORENSENTwenty-four elderly and housebound people in Manchester have been connected with near neighbours. We have equipment for a further sixteen for the experiment but difficulties have been experienced in selecting suitable pairs and establishing communication.
Over 600 cases have been investigated by Manchester Corporation Welfare Department and 70 have been submitted for trial. Failures are mainly attributed to distances between partners being too great for the range of the equipment, or to partners being on a different phase of the electricity supply.
The experiment continues.
House adjourned at twenty-one minutes before eight o'clock