Oral Answers to Questions — Posts and Telecommunications – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 17 Rhagfyr 1973.
Mr John Golding
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
12:00,
17 Rhagfyr 1973
asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will list the approved suppliers of telephone main exchange equipment to the Post Office.
Mr John Eden
, Bournemouth West
General Electric Co., Plessey Telecommunications. Standard Telephones and Cable, and Pye/Telephone Manufacturing Company.
Mr John Golding
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
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?
Mr John Eden
, Bournemouth West
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.
Gerald Kaufman
, Manchester Ardwick
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?
Mr John Eden
, Bournemouth West
That does not arise on this Question.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
