§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Postmaster-General what contracts have been placed for equipment and buildings to extend the capacity of Orpington telephone exchange since 1st January, 1967; and if he will publish in each case the names of the contractors, a brief description of the work, the planned and actual completion dates, the penalty in the case of contracts extended beyond the planned date, and the amount claimed by the Post Office in respect of these contracts.
§ Mr. MasonA contract for the supply and installation of equipment for 5,200 additional exchange lines and for the 261W growth of S.T.D. traffic and trunk switching was placed under the Bulk Supply Agreement in September, 1966. It is not normally our practice to disclose the contractor's name. The work was originally planned to begin in January, 1968 and to be completed in March, 1969; but both these dates had to be deferred by two months because the Post Office was late in supplying some details of the requirements to the contractor.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works that a contract for the vertical extension of the building, at first floor level, was also placed in September, 1966. The completed building was handed over to the Post Office in February, 1968. The question of penalties does not arise.