BT to Remove One-in-five Phone Boxes in Scotland - Scottish Parliament: 28 June 2017
Channel: The Scottish Parliament
Date: 2017-06-29

Members' Business
Debate on the subject of—
S5M-05217 Kenneth Gibson: BT to Remove One-in-five Phone Boxes in Scotland—That the
Parliament is concerned by the reported decision by BT to close 947 payphones across Scotland
within the next three years, including 24 phone boxes in North Ayrshire; understands that this
move will leave just 3,840 working phone boxes in Scotland and only 35 in North Ayrshire;
considers that these phone boxes represent a lifeline for many people in Scotland, especially for
those in rural communities with poor mobile phone coverage; understands that, while payphone
usage has inevitably dropped in recent years due to the prevalence of smart phones, the closure
of these phone boxes could potentially pose serious problems in the case of an emergency;
encourages the continued promotion of BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme, which offers councils and
charities the opportunity to adopt their local phone box for just £1 and transform it into an asset for 
the community as an alternative to removal, and notes the calls for BT to continue consulting with
the people of Scotland to prevent the unnecessary withdrawal of payphones in the communities
that need them most.

Published by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body.

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