§ Mr. Onslowasked the Postmaster-General what is the present waiting list for telephones in the Byfleet telephone exchange area, and when he expects that this will be cleared.
§ Mr. Joseph Slater:Three hundred and ninety-one at 31st January, 1968.
I expect an extension of By-fleet exchange will be finished by the end of the year, but that is not the only consideration affecting the clearance of the waiting list. The effect of additional calls to and from Byfleet must also be taken into account, especially those routed through the switching centre at Weybridge, which is heavily loaded. An extension to this centre should also be completed by the end of the year, and the capacity of its route to London will be increased by the provision of pulse code modulation equipment. We are investigating the extent to which these measures will permit additional connections to be made to Byfleet, without detracting from the quality of service given to existing customers, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman when we know the answer.
§ Mr. Garrettasked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones are outstanding in the borough of Wallsend; and what is the average length of time before installation.
§ Mr. Joseph Slater:Eighty-six at 31st January, 1968, with an average waiting time of six weeks. We hope to clear all outstanding applications by early summer.