asked the Postmaster-General what was the number of outstanding applications for telephone installations within the area of the Reading telephone exchange at the latest convenient date, and one year previously.

At 30th September there were 1,095 orders in hand or under inquiry and 741 on the waiting list for the Reading group of exchanges. The figures a year previously were 1,292 and 463 respectively. During the year the number of connections increased by 2,458.