asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones in the Dalkeith district are at present before his Department.

One hundred and six applications were outstanding at the 31st March, 1954.

Does the Minister not consider that this part of Midlothian is most inadequately provided with telephone facilities?

There is a shortage of telephones almost everywhere, and some places are worse off than others. The position is not worse in this area than it is on the average.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones have been received by his Department from persons in the county of Midlothian during the years 1952 and 1953.

Five thousand and sixty-six and 5,651, respectively, including 4,900 and 5,400 for Edinburgh. Six thousand, one hundred and fifty-eight telephones were supplied last year.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many public telephone kiosks were installed in the counties of Midlothian and Peebles in the years 1952 and 1953.

Thirteen kiosks were installed in the county of Midlothian, including Edinburgh, and two in Peebles in each of these years.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that at that rate it will take 150 years to provide Midlothian and Peebles with public telephones at 10-mile intervals?

I trust that the hon. Member's figure does not represent the true position.

Can the hon. Gentleman state whether all this backwardness in telephone installations, which conflicts with the Government's declaration that everybody can get anything they want nowadays, is partly explained by the fact that the Government are squandering a lot of resources on commercial television?

This Government have reduced the waiting list by over 100,000 in the last two years.

Is my hon. Friend aware that under a Socialist Government it would take 250 years?