asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will list the approved suppliers of telephone main exchange equipment to the Post Office.

General Electric Co., Plessey Telecommunications. Standard Telephones and Cable, and Pye/Telephone Manufacturing Company.

Will the right hon. Gentleman assure us that Pye TMC will be included in the discussions which will take place on the future of System X telephone exchanges? When are the manufacturers likely to come together to discuss that development?

As the hon. Gentleman will recognise, this is a complicated matter involving the sharing of commercially valuable information among manufacturers. It is for the industry to negotiate satisfactory arrangements which will enable Pye TMC to participate.

Could the right hon. Gentleman have a sharp word with Plessey, which, I understand, supplies the telephone equipment allegedly connecting this House with the outside world, and inform it that never have so many attempted telephone calls been connected to so few respondents? Will he try to do something about this?

That does not arise on this Question.