asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the Post Office expressed the view last year that the large waiting list for telephones in the county borough of Oldham would be substantially wiped out by the middle of 1952; and what effects the recent economy cuts on telephone installations and cables are likely to have with reference to the Oldham programme.

I hope that, with the additional plant now being provided, we shall be able to meet a high proportion of present outstanding applications by the end of 1952.

Whilst congratulating the Minister on the very able way in which he makes a disagreeable announcement, may I ask if that means that the promise will not be carried out and that Oldham is going to get a lot less than was promised by the Post Office a few months ago? Will that also apply throughout the country?

The hon. Member made a statement that a promise was made for the middle of 1952, but I can find no trace of that whatever.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is aware that there is a lack of automatic equipment in the two telephone exchanges serving the central and northern parts of the city of Aberdeen; that Messrs. Siemens, Brothers, who are working on extensions of these exchanges, cannot complete them for about 18 months from now; that there is a long list of businessmen and others awaiting telephones there; and if he will expedite the work, so that these extensions can be completed earlier.

The extension of the North Exchange should be completed in August, 1952, and the Central Exchange in January, 1953. I am satisfied that the work is proceeding as quickly as possible.

Does the Assistant Postmaster-General realise that the absence of these telephones is impeding national production in the shipbuilding yards, and will he take some steps to expedite the completion of this telephone system?

I quite realise what the hon. and learned Gentleman says, but I can hold out no hope that these exchanges will be finished earlier than the dates which I have given him.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that, despite requests by the residents of the Stocking Farm Estate, Leicester, no telephone kiosk has been installed on the estate; and if he will have one installed immediately, as there are no means at present of calling the police, the fire brigade or an ambulance in an emergency.

I hope to provide this soon after the new Belgrave Exchange is opened next May. An earlier date is not possible because of the shortage of equipment at the present exchange.

Is the Assistant Postmaster-General aware that there are some 2,500 people there, of whom about 1,500 are children, and that the nearest kiosk is about three-quarters of a mile away from the estate down at the bottom of a hill and barely accessible on any urgent occasion? Will he please press the matter forward?

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps have been taken to restore telephone communication to the Orkneys; and what is the present position.

My hon. Friend no doubt refers to the hurricane which occurred on 14th and 15th January. Within a day groups of Post Office engineers with repair stores were flown to the Orkneys, and other staff and heavier equipment were sent out by ship. Repair work, in very bad weather conditions, went on continuously and I am glad to say that service was restored to all the Islands by 21st January and all subscribers' damaged lines were repaired by 4th February.

I should like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the ready help received from local air and shipping organisations.

Considering that some 60 exchanges were isolated and 2,000 subscribers' lines were affected, I feel sure the House will agree that this achievement reflects great credit on all who assisted in the work.

Is the Minister aware that the action of the Post Office has caused great satisfaction? Can he add to that assurance that their development work is not being held up?

I cannot yet give that assurance. The repair work that had to be done as a result of this hurricane is bound to affect to some extent development work in Scotland this year, but I cannot yet state the extent to which such work will be affected.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when the conversion of the Enfield telephone exchange from manual to automatic operation will be completed.

It is impossible to forecast, in view of present shortages, when it will be possible to convert the Enfield Exchange to automatic working. As the hon. Member is aware, the existing manual exchange at Enfield has been extended, increasing its capacity by nearly 1,000 lines and a further extension providing for about 1,600 lines will be made during the next 12 months.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the number of applicants for telephone installation on the waiting list in Enfield and the net number connected since 1st January, 1946.

One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one applications are on the waiting list and 32 are being investigated. Exchange connections have increased by 2,811 net since 1st January, 1946.

In view of the large number of outstanding applicants, will not the Assistant Postmaster-General look once more into this matter of the conversion of the exchange? Two years ago I was given an undertaking that this matter would be examined, and nothing seems to have been done.

I can hold out no hope that this exchange will be converted to an automatic exchange in the near future.

Does the hon. Gentleman's reply mean that Enfield Exchange is to be permanently a manual one?

It does not mean anything of the sort.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what arrangements are being made for the future issue of London telephone directories to people living in the Harrow Urban District Council area.

Shortage of paper has made it necessary, for the time being, to stop the supply of new issues of the London telephone directory to existing residential subscribers. Business subscribers and new subscribers will get the new issues as usual. This measure will result in substantial savings in money and paper, and my noble Friend feels confident of its ready acceptance by the public.

Does not the Minister realise that, as a result of this, many users of telephones will be out of touch with one another and that it is a most unsatisfactory arrangement? Further, is he aware that this arrangement was made without any warning to the subscribers concerned, and will he look into the matter?

Only last year a survey was made among residential subscribers who were asked whether or not they wanted more frequent issues of the directory, and 91 per cent. said that they did not. But any private subscriber who particularly wants a copy of the directory can ask for it.

Would it not have been better if the people of Harrow had voted Labour? They would have got a telephone directory then.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will now take steps to enable old age pensioners to obtain wireless licences at a rate less than that charged to other citizens.

The Government regret that they are unable to give old age pensioners preferential treatment in this respect.

Has the Minister taken any trouble to inquire what the cost of this concession would be? Does he realise that this class of the community is very hardly hit by the present high cost of living?

Successive Governments have had reluctantly to come to the same conclusion in regard to granting any concession to old age pensioners.

In view of the fact that this Question has appeared so frequently on the Order Paper, does not the Assistant Postmaster-General think it about time the Government gave some sympathetic consideration to the plea put forward by old age pensioners?

Both this Government and the previous Government gave very careful consideration and sympathetic consideration to the matter but, for the reasons given in this House on many occasions, they have been unable to do anything about it.