Your Ref: SE/FOI/7/07
Our Ref: 32124
4th August 2005


With reference to your request for information about the use of a non-geographic telephone numbers, dated 8th July 2005, made under section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act, in response to your questions, I am able to provide you with the following information:

1. Do you use 0870 telephone numbers?
PITO does not use 0870 numbers. However, we have established the national Mutual Aid Telephony contract on behalf of the police service to make available non-geographic numbers to support casualty bureau operation.

1.1. And if so, why do you use 0870 numbers?
This telephony contract with Cable & Wireless provides the police service with ten national nongeographic 0870 numbers that can be set up in fifteen minutes and are capable of handling a large volume of calls generated in the aftermath of a major incident. This was set up to underpin the national CasWeb system which, in turn, enables remote and secure access to the HOLMES2 major
incident and investigation system. The national Mutual Aid Telephony arrangement enabled more than 200 call takers from around 20 different forces to handle calls on behalf of the Metropolitan Police following the recent bombings in London. A briefing on CasWeb is attached for your
information.
At the time the contract was set up, the choice of ten 0870 numbers represented for the police service and PITO the most cost effective solution of the non-geographic numbers, including 0800 and 0845. Equally, a set of geographic numbers was not appropriate to support such a national telephony arrangement as a major incident can occur anywhere in the country. PITO, the police service and the Home Office have taken note of Ofcom guidance and public concern at the use of 0870 numbers and these numbers will no longer be used for casualty bureau
operation.

1.2. What are the equivalent geographical numbers?
The available 0870 numbers can be deployed to any geographic location in the country depending on the police operational need. As such, there is no single underlying geographic number.

1.3. What revenue do you receive per minute and in total from the use of 0870 numbers?
Neither PITO, nor the police service nor the Home Office receive any revenue from this arrangement.

1.4. Are you aware of the revenue collected by your telecom provider, from your callers?
PITO does not hold information relating to the revenue generated by the operation of the 0870 number.

1.5. Have you considered the revised COI guidelines?
At the time the national Mutual Aid Telephony contract was set up to support the CasWeb system, guidance relating to the use of 0870 numbers by public sector bodies was not available. When the

(cont..)

London attacks happened, PITO was already in discussion with Cable & Wireless about the possible use of alternative numbers in line with the guidance that had become available.

1.5.1. If so, what conclusions did you come to?
The police service will no longer use non-geographic 0870 numbers for casualty bureau operation. PITO, the police service and the Home Office have taken note of Ofcom guidance and public concern in reaching this decision.

1.6. Do you realise that all calls (local/national) cost the same?
Call costs are dependent on factors such as the telecoms provider, call duration and the time of day.

1.7. Are you aware of the cost implications to your callers, when using 0870 numbers?
PITO is aware of the cost implication for callers to the national 0870 casualty bureau number. The key consideration in establishing national Mutual Aid Telephony was to give callers universal, quick and direct access from anywhere within the UK to a casualty bureau line. At the time that the arrangement was set up, the adoption of an 0870 number was the lowest cost option to the tax payer
as the cost is met by the caller.

2. Why do you use 0845 numbers?
PITO does not use 0845 numbers and these numbers are not made available to the police service under the national Mutual Aid Telephony contract.

3. Why do you use 0844 numbers?
PITO does not use 0844 numbers and these numbers are not made available to the police service under the national Mutual Aid Telephony contract. If you feel your request has not been properly handled or you are otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request, you have the right to complain. We will investigate the matter and endeavour to reply within 3 – 6 weeks. You should write to PITO Information Services at the following address:

PITO
New King’s Beam House
22 Upper Ground
London SE1 9QY

020 8358 5555
informationdesk@pito.pnn.police.uk

If you are still dissatisfied following our internal review, you have the right under section 50 of the Act to complain directly to the Information Commissioner at:
FOI Compliance Team (complaints)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Further information about PITO is routinely published on our website at www.pito.org.uk or through our
publication scheme. If you require any further assistance in connection with this request please contact us at our address above.

Yours sincerely,

Tom McArthur
Director of Operational Services

- 1 -

Status
Operational Service
Parent Programme
Service Management &
Support
Last Updated
17-Jun-05

HOLMES 2 and CasWeb

Background

HOLMES2 is used by the UK police to run major crime enquiries and casualty bureaux after major incidents. It received final accreditation in October 2001 and two versions have been released each year since, providing additional functionality requested . It is Windows-based application and includes:

• Graphical on-screen document mark up and display
• Disclosure
• 'Drag and drop’ action and document management
• Exhibits management
• Free text retrieval
• Resource management
• Incident linking
• Facilities required to run a casualty bureau.
• 'Thin client' and 'thick client' options for HOLMES2.
Casweb is a web-based front end to the HOLMES2 Casualty Bureau application that has been created to make it easier for forces to help each other out when one force is dealing with the aftermath of a major disaster. This procedure of forces helping each other with the management of policing operations is known as 'mutual aid'.
Casweb allows neighbouring forces to create, search and update missing persons, callers, and record messages on the host force’s casualty bureau incident. This is done via web servers hosted on the Criminal Justice Extranet (CJX).
The first phase of a new module for CasWeb called IRWeb was released in June 2005. It provides forces with a mutual aid facility for taking telephone messages from the public during a high profile murder enquiry.
The CasWeb software has been bought by PITO on behalf of UK police forces. Users anywhere on the CJX can to connect to CasWeb through internet explorer and log on to
any Casualty Bureau incident which they have been given permission for.

The HOLMES2 Enquiry Officer project will enable officers engaged on major enquires managed through HOLMES2 to be tasked remotely through mobile technology without the need to return to the incident room. Officers will also be able to submit reports directly to the incident room through the mobile technology being tested. The project is a proof of concept technology demonstrator sponsored by the ACPO Crime Committee (Homicide Working Group). Unisys has developed HOLMES2 Enquiry Officer web server software.

Latest Position
HOLMES2 has been rolled out to every force in the UK as well as six additional central agencies. CasWeb Version 5 includes the facilities to input casualty and survivor/evacuee records as well as the current unctionality for handling missing persons. The HOLMES2 User Group remains very active and there are currently working groups in the following areas: analysts, disclosure, security, technical, casualty bureau business process, training and examination, mobile data, exhibits HOLMES2 futures. Details of contacts for each of these groups can be found on the HOLMES2 website, which is accessible through the HOLMES2 section on the PITO website.

Significant new areas of development under consideration are the use of mobile technology for enquiry officers, xml interfaces and mutual aid for handling messages on high profile murder enquiries.

Milestones/Timetable
HOLMES 2 Version 9 and CasWeb Version 6 (including MIRWeb) were accepted in May 2005.

Funding
For HOLMES2 licences and support and maintenance, forces pay Unisys according to prices agreed with PITO. Funding for CasWeb has, to date, been provided by PITO.

Quote:

At the time that the arrangement was set up, the adoption of an 0870 number was the lowest cost option to the tax payer as the cost is met by the caller

I love the way they differentiate between the "tax payer" and the "caller"! 9 times out of 10 this will be the same thing.

0870 is a STEALTH tax on the tax payer - that's why it's so objectionable.

wrote on Aug 5^th, 2005 at 3:43pm:

I love the way they differentiate between the "tax payer" and the "caller"! 9 times out of 10 this will be the same thing. 0870 is a STEALTH tax on the tax payer - that's why it's so objectionable.

Lets add Shareholder to the equasion (in the case of C&W)

Looks like PITO has been busy today, and so it should. I have still not received a response to my letters to the CEO of PITO, nor has he had the decency to resign.

<<
With reference to your request for information about the use of a non-geographic 0870 telephone number for
casualty bureau, dated 8th July 2005, made under section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act, please
treat this as a combined response from both PITO and the Home Office. In response to your questions, I am
able to provide you with the following information:

1. What is the underlying geographic number to 0870 1566 344?

The 0870 1566 344 number was provided to the police service as part of the national Mutual Aid
Telephony contract to make available non-geographic numbers to support casualty bureau operation.
The system is based on intelligent, distributed networking and as such there is no single underlying
geographic number.

2. Why was a non-geographic number used for the casualty bureau?

The number was set up under the national Mutual Aid Telephony agreement designed to support the use
by all forces of the CasWeb system. The telephony contract was established with Cable & Wireless to
provide the police service with ten national non-geographic numbers that could be activated in fifteen
minutes and are capable of handling a large volume of calls generated in the aftermath of a major
incident. The national Mutual Aid Telephony arrangement enabled more than 200 call takers from
around 20 different forces to handle calls on behalf of the Metropolitan Police. A briefing on CasWeb is
attached for your information.
At the time the contract was set up, the choice of ten 0870 numbers represented for the police service
and PITO the most cost effective solution of the non-geographic numbers, including 0800 and 0845.
Equally, a set of geographic numbers was not appropriate to support such a national telephony
arrangement as a major incident can occur anywhere in the country.
PITO, the police service and the Home Office have taken note of Ofcom guidance and public concern at
the use of 0870 numbers and these numbers will no longer be used for casualty bureau operation.

...continued

continued...

3. Does PITO recognise the difficulty in calling the 0870 number from overseas and if so, why
wasn't an alternative number provided?

PITO does recognise the difficulty that non-UK telephony service providers have in connecting to nongeographic
0870 numbers. However, the key consideration in establishing national Mutual Aid
Telephony was giving callers universal, quick and direct access from anywhere within the UK to a
casualty bureau line. At the time that the arrangement was set up, the adoption of an 0870 number was
the lowest cost option to the tax payer as the cost is met by the caller.
After the casualty bureau became operational on 7th July, the Metropolitan Police became aware of the
problems that some overseas callers were having. Once PITO was alerted to the problem by the Met, a
geographic number (020 7158 0010) was provided.
The use of 0870 numbers for casualty bureau operation was already under review by PITO shortly
before the London bombings. PITO, the Home Office and the police service have taken note of Ofcom
guidance and public concern at the use of 0870. As a result these numbers will no longer be used for
casualty bureau operation. The Ofcom guidance in question was not available at the time the telephony
arrangement was set up.

4. Which party receives the revenue generated from the 0870 number and how much has been
generated?

Cable & Wireless and the other telecoms providers share revenue generated by the service. Neither
PITO, nor the Metropolitan Police nor the Home Office receive any revenue from this arrangement.
PITO does not hold information relating to the revenue generated by the operation of the 0870 number.

...continued

continued...

5. Is PITO aware of the government's own advice regarding call centres and 0870 numbers? This
information is provided by the COI and can be found at http://www.coi.gov.uk/ccg/download.php
'cost to citizen' update.

At the time the national Mutual Aid Telephony contract was set up to support the CasWeb system,
guidance relating to the use of 0870 numbers by public sector bodies was not available. When the
London attacks happened, PITO was already in discussion with Cable & Wireless about the possible use
of alternative numbers in line with the guidance that had become available.
The police service will no longer use non-geographic 0870 numbers for casualty bureau operation.
PITO, the police service and the Home Office have taken note of Ofcom guidance and public concern in
reaching this decision.

6. What contractual arrangements are in place between PITO and Cable and Wireless with respect
to the supply of 0870 numbers?

National Mutual Aid Telephony is a service provided under Intelligent Network Services. This is a part of
the PNN2 (Police National Network) framework arrangement that provides wider secure data and
telecommunication services to the police. PNN2 users can call off the service when required or, as in
this case, set up a national service.

[end]

The response to my second FOI request:

<<
Thank you for your e-mail of 13th July. We have investigated the problems you appear to have had in
contacting PITO in the aftermath of the London bombings. Having checked our logs we have received four e-mails from you, two e-mails dated 8th July and 10th July and two requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act dated 8th July and 13th July. Receipt of these FoI requests was acknowledged
by return e-mail. Request reference numbers xxxxx and xxxxx refer. We have no record of having received an e-mail from you on 7th July. We also have a record of your telephone call on 8th July requesting assistance in contacting the London casualty bureau. Having sought advice from the Metropolitan Police Service, a member of our Information Services team returned your call and offered to contact the casualty bureau on your behalf, which you declined. Call reference xxxxx refers.
With reference to your request for information about the use of a non-geographic 0870 telephone number for
casualty bureau, made under section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act, contained in the same e-mail, please treat this as a combined response from both PITO and the Home Office. In response to your
questions, I am able to provide you with the following information:

1. What involvement did PITO have, prior to the explosions in London on July 7, 2005, in planning
for the telecommunication aspects of providing the casualty bureau?

PITO was responsible for establishing national Mutual Aid Telephony to support the national CasWeb
system used by the Metropolitan Police and forces all around the country during this incident. This
telephony contract with Cable & Wireless provides the police service with ten national non-geographic
numbers that can be set up in fifteen minutes and are capable of handling a large volume of calls
generated in the aftermath of a major incident. This arrangement underpins the national CasWeb
system which, in turn, gives participating forces remote and secure access to the HOLMES2 major
incident and investigation system. The national Mutual Aid Telephony arrangement enabled more than
200 call takers from around 20 different forces to handle calls on behalf of the Metropolitan Police. A
briefing on CasWeb is attached for your information.

...continued

continued...

2. Was there any prior liaison between PITO, Ofcom, the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and
any other relevant government departments and organizations in relation to providing the
casualty bureau number?

The decision to adopt an 0870 number to support CasWeb’s operation was taken by PITO in response
to a police requirement for a telephony arrangement to underpin a national response to managing major
incidents. This requirement was expressed through the national HOLMES2 User Group, comprising
representatives from across the police service.
Following CasWeb’s development PITO consulted with the police service and the Home Office on how
best the system could be implemented nationally. A supporting element of that national implementation
was the requirement for a national Mutual Aid Telephony arrangement to manage the large number of
calls generated by a major incident.

At the time this contract was set up, there was no specific guidance from Ofcom regarding the use of
non-geographic 0870 numbers. When the London attacks took place, PITO was already in discussion
with Cable & Wireless about the possible use of alternatives to the non-geographic 0870 numbers.

3. Why did PITO select an 0870 number for a casualty bureau?

At the time the contract was set up, the choice of ten 0870 numbers represented for the police service
and PITO the most cost effective solution of the non-geographic numbers, including 0800 and 0845.
Equally, a set of geographic numbers was not appropriate to support such a national telephony
arrangement as a major incident can occur anywhere in the country.
PITO, the police service and the Home Office have taken note of Ofcom guidance and public concern at
the use of 0870 numbers and these numbers will no longer be used for casualty bureau operation.

...continued

continued...

4. Was PITO aware that international callers have no guarantee that they can call non-geographic
numbers?

The needs of callers from overseas or other caller groups were not singled out for specific consideration
in setting up this arrangement. The key consideration in establishing national Mutual Aid Telephony was
to give callers universal, quick and direct access from anywhere within the UK to a casualty bureau line.
At the time that the arrangement was set up, the adoption of an 0870 number was the lowest cost option
to the tax payer as the cost is met by the caller.
The use of 0870 numbers for casualty bureau operation was already under review by PITO shortly
before the London bombings. PITO, the Home Office and the police service have taken note of Ofcom
guidance and public concern at the use of 0870. As a result these numbers will no longer be used for
casualty bureau operation. The Ofcom guidance in question was not available at the time the telephony
arrangement was set up.

5. How much revenue has been generated to date from the 0870 number and which party will
receive such revenue?

PITO does not hold information relating to the revenue generated by the operation of the 0870 number.
Neither PITO, nor the police service or the Home Office receive any revenue from this arrangement.
Cable & Wireless and the other telecoms providers share revenue generated by the service.

6. What steps is PITO taking such that a future incident (plane crash, terrorism, major accident etc)
does not use a non-geographic number for international callers?

The police service will no longer use non-geographic 0870 numbers for casualty bureau operation.
PITO, the police service and the Home Office have taken note of Ofcom guidance and public concern in
reaching this decision.

...continued

continued...

7. Why did it take more than twenty four hours for a geographic number to be issued? Was this as a
result of complaints from the public?

After the casualty bureau became operational on 7th July, the Metropolitan Police became aware that
some overseas callers were having difficulty connecting to the 0870 number. Having been alerted to the
problem by the Met, PITO explored solutions with Cable and Wireless and provided a geographic
number (020 7158 0010) for callers to use.
This number had to be part of the 0870 hunt group to maintain the correct call routing. This required
careful planning and testing. Once tested, this number was then made available to the Metropolitan
Police for external publication.

8. How many complaints, either by telephone, fax. email or mail has PITO received regarding the
use of an 0870 number for this incident?

PITO has a record of having received complaints from seven people. From these seven people we
received twelve emails and two phone calls about the use of the non-geographic 0870 number for
casualty bureau operation.

[end]

Quote:

7. Why did it take more than twenty four hours for a geographic number to be issued? Was this as a result of complaints from the public? After the casualty bureau became operational on 7th July, the Metropolitan Police became aware that some overseas callers were having difficulty connecting to the 0870 number. Having been alerted to the problem by the Met, PITO explored solutions with Cable and Wireless and provided a geographic number (020 7158 0010) for callers to use. This number had to be part of the 0870 hunt group to maintain the correct call routing. This required careful planning and testing. Once tested, this number was then made available to the Metropolitan Police for external publication.

They were "Alerted to the problem by the Met," that'll be it then. Pass the buck. ::)

Of course, the Met were probably alerted by the public anyway. You'll have to do a FOI on the Met and ask them the same question.

And why not release more or all of the geographical numbers for each call centre?


Quote:

8. How many complaints, either by telephone, fax. email or mail has PITO received regarding the use of an 0870 number for this incident? PITO has a record of having received complaints from seven people. From these seven people we received twelve emails and two phone calls about the use of the non-geographic 0870 number for casualty bureau operation.

Does this include emails and phone calls to the management or just to some general email address and call centre?

I seem to remember someone saying that Ofcom only include emails (and phone calls) to its Contact Centre in the statistics it produces.

wrote on Aug 5^th, 2005 at 6:35pm:

... And why not release more or all of the geographical numbers for each call centre?....

I phoned up and asked this question, the response was.

At any period in time the telephone numbers would be different depending on what forces were logged into the system, so you would have to ask that partic force for their number.