§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Postmaster-General (1) if he will make a statement on the incidence of vandalism in telephone kiosks in Scotland; and if he will give any relevant readily-available statistics;
(2) what steps he is taking to make vandalism in telephone kiosks more difficult.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterThe number of incidents of vandalism to telephone kiosks in Scotland is:
1965 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 (6 months) 21,500 17,500 15,500 8,500 About 70 per cent. of this damage occurs in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Strengthened equipment is being fitted and all kiosks will be equipped as the new components become available.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Postmaster-General what action he proposes to take to ensure that vandalism to telephone boxes which form a link between housing estates and public services is kept to a minimum; what action he proposes to take against vandals themselves; what action he is taking to ensure continuity of telephone services in such areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterTelephone kiosks, particularly in isolated situations in housing estates have suffered severely from damage by theft and vandalism. We are fitting strengthened equipment which is370W proving successful in resisting attacks. We are also using secret alarms to assist in catching offenders, more of whom are being prosecuted by the police.
Demands for replacement of equipment have strained supplies, but we give priority to the repair of isolated kiosks and in most instances we are able to restore emergency facilities quickly.