Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 2 November 2005

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24461)  

Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

22  Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by her Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24468)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

37 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24457)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

48  Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24462)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

86  Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by her Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24466)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

123 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by her Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24464)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

160 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24460)  

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

172 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by her Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24465)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

221  Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24456)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

249 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24463)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

271 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24458)

...continued

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

283 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24459)  

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

301 Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. (24467)

I raised the issue of 0870 with Vince Cable at the time of the London Bombing.

I was suposed to be going to a dinner tomorrow where he was speaking, but which I can't now attend (daughters birthday party). Having seen this posting I have emailed him for any feedback.

Sorry: I also should have said that I thanked him and also asked how much lobbying he had received on the subject.

At the risk of sounding ignorant at parliamentary procedure, is this merely a matter of sending a letter off to the local MP with a list of your PQs?  It would be interesting to compare the usage of 0870 numbers amongst GB civil service departments with those of NI.  I've started to see their usage creep over here and can't see the point, as all of NI is on the single 028 area code anyway.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 7 Nov 2005 (pt 24)

<<
DEFENCE

0870 Numbers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. [24457]

Mr. Touhig: The use of 0870 numbers in the Department is determined at local level in accordance with individual business requirements. Records of 0870 numbers and the revenue received from them is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
>>

Order Book Part 2

Notices given on Monday 7 November

<<
79
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the money that is raised from his Department's 0870 prefix contact telephone number is spent. (27131)  
>>

Comment - increased awareness by MPs of the NTS scam can only be beneficial.

14 Nov 2005 : Column WA120

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 0870 Telephone Numbers
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office now follows the guidance of the Central Office of Information and OFCOM in relation to the use of 0870 and 0845 telephone numbers for public enquiries. [HL1838]

Lord Triesman: Yes. Since 9 September 2005, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice number has been changed to 0845 from 0870.

The 0870 number will continue to run in conjunction with the 0845 number for one year until it is discontinued. The 0845 number is being used in all new promotional material. So far, the take-up rate for the 0845 number has been 55 per cent. of all calls received since 9 September 2005.

11 Nov 2005 : Column 836W—continued

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
0870 Numbers
Dr. Cable: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. [24462]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Over the last five years, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not used any 0870 telephone numbers as contact numbers for members of the public.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Nov 2005 (pt 26)

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

0870 Numbers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the revenue raised from her Department's 0870 prefix contact telephone number is spent. [26438]

Maria Eagle: The Department for Education and Skills does not participate in revenue share schemes associated with 0870 numbers and therefore derives no revenue from the use of these numbers.

idb wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2005 at 1:26am:

Maria Eagle: The Department for Education and Skills does not participate in revenue share schemes associated with 0870 numbers and therefore derives no revenue from the use of these numbers.

How noble of DFES! So does it receive 'services' in kind from its telco?

So all this extra public expense goes into the back pocket of a private telco!

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 22 Nov 2005 (pt 31)

<<
TREASURY
0870 Numbers
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. [24461]

John Healey: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) currently has contracts with two companies for telecommunications services, including non-geographic number provision (eg 0870). In the former Inland Revenue, 0870 numbers have been used mainly to provide international access to a range of customer contact services and helplines, including for example, the international Self Assessment orderline, IR35, and Construction Industry Scheme orderline, as well as new tax credits. In the former HM Customs and Excise, 0870 numbers have been used mainly in the law enforcement area.

On average HMRC receives around 50,000 calls from the public to 0870 numbers every month. A detailed breakdown of calls to these numbers over the last five years would be available only at disproportionate cost. HMRC does not make any profit from the use of 0870 numbers.

HM Treasury does not use 0870 numbers.
>>

The general reply coming back seems to be that the 'Department' (whichever department it may be) does not profit out of 0870.

There are 2 logical conclusions to this:

a) They are receiving services in exchange, in which case these are misleading replies as they are profit sharing but receiving services instead of cash.

b) The civil servant who authorised the use of the 0870 number is incompetent and wasting tax payers money as anyone with any gumption can get a profit sharing deal on 0870 numbers (the ads are there to see). The consequence of this is that the caller is paying a premium all of which is going to the telecom company who would have been only too keen to have shared it with the Government department who could then have reduced their admin budget and our taxes.

My inclination (and hope that Government departments aren't that incompetent) is that the correct option is (a). In which case the parliamentary replies are very misleading.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 7 Dec 2005 (pt 10)

7 Dec 2005 : Column 1306W—continued

<<
TRANSPORT

0870 Numbers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. [24459]

Ms Buck: DfT HQ buildings do not have any centrally provided 0870 numbers. The following DfT Agencies do use 0870 numbers.

VOSA—have one 0870 number (0870 60 60 440) providing a national inquiry service which was activated on 21 November 2000. The revenue received until 15 April 2004 was on average £380 per calendar month. From 15 April 2004, VOSA have received £41,924.29.

MCA—have used only one 0870 number in the last five years—0870 600 6505—for the 'One Stop Shop' (also known as the 'Infoline'). This number is not revenue generating.

DVLA—have fronted over 50 public services with 0870 numbers during the last five years. Currently DVLA use 10 0870 numbers to front public services. Rebate figures for the last five years are as follows:

Amount (£)  
2000-01   76,763  
2001-02   247,807  
2002-03   656,164  
2003-04   1,109,719  
2004-05   2,285,528  

DSA—have used the following numbers over the past five years:

0870 01 01 372—English Language Theory and Practical Test Booking Line
0870 01 00 372—Welsh Language Theory and Practical Test Booking Line
0870 01 02 372—Number used for faxed test bookings
0870 01 07 372—Minicom line for test bookings.

Income figures are only available back to 2003-04, as follows:

Amount (£)  
2003-04 908,536  
2004-05 1,268,007  
2005-06 ⁽⁶⁾350,838  


(6) To June 2005.


>>

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 14 December 2005

Order Book Part 1

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

<<
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10th November 2005, Official Report, column 705W, on departmental telephone lines, if he will list the organisations which hold the records on 0870 numbers used by his Department and the revenue received from them
>>

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 13 December 2005

Order Book Part 1

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

<<
1  Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 22nd November 2005, Official Report, column 1902W, on 0870 numbers, what contractual arrangements Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has for the provision of the non-profit making 0870 lines.
>>

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Jan 2006 (pt 98)

9 Jan 2006 : Column 391W

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

0870 Numbers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 443W, on 0870 numbers, what contractual arrangements her Department has for the provision of the non-profit making 0870 lines. [37640]

Bill Rammell: The Department for Education and Skills normally obtains non profit making 0870 lines from its current telephone service provider as a published service offering within that contract. The exception to that policy is where advanced notification has been provided of an impending Machinery of Government change and, in these cases, non profit making 0870 numbers are obtained outside of the normal contractual arrangements in order to ease transition to the new Department.

Lords Hansard text for 9 Jan 2006 (60109w04)

Government Departments: 0870 Numbers

Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Home Office, and the executive agencies for which it is responsible, now follow the guidance of the Central Office of Information and
Ofcom in relation to the use of 0870 and 0845 telephone numbers for public inquiries. [HL1837]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Home Office is keen to ensure that the cost of telephone calls made by the public are kept to a minimum, and all 0870 and 0845 numbers that have been in use are under review to ensure compliance with the COI guidelines wherever possible. The central Home Office inquiry number is no longer an 0870 number and was replaced with 020 7035 4848 from September 2005. The 0870 number is being kept for 18 months as publicity material such as phone book entries will take a while to reflect the change.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Jan 2006 (pt 1)

9 Jan 2006 : Column 5W

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

0870 Numbers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2005, Official Report,
column 1364W, on 0870 numbers, what contractual arrangements her Department has for the provision of 0870 lines. [37642]

Jim Knight: The core Department's 0870 number is used by callers to the Pet Travel Scheme helpline and is provided by BT which has a minimum contractual period of 12 months. This helpline number was provided by BT in late 1999 so it is no longer bound by a contractual period.

idb wrote on Jan 14^th, 2006 at 1:36pm:

Bill Rammell: The Department for Education and Skills normally obtains non profit making 0870 lines from its current telephone service provider [...]

That is presumably non-profit for the Department. Presumably all the 'profit' goes to its telecoms provider then. ::)

Very useful information idb, taking up Dave’s point, I have sent the following email to Mr Rammell:


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Jan 2006 (pt 98)

9 Jan 2006 : Column 391W

EDUCATION AND SKILLS”

“0870 Numbers”

“Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 443W, on 0870 numbers, what contractual arrangements her Department has for the provision of the non-profit making 0870 lines. [37640]”

“Bill Rammell: The Department for Education and Skills normally obtains non profit making 0870 lines from its current telephone service provider as a published service offering within that contract. The exception to that policy is where advanced notification has been provided of an impending Machinery of Government change and, in these cases, non profit making 0870 numbers are obtained outside of the normal contractual arrangements in order to ease transition to the new Department.”
-------------------------------

Dear Mr. Rammell, I do not understand your answer to the above question, perhaps you can explain.  

During the day, 0870 telephone numbers typically cost a caller 7 to 8 pence per minute, from a land-line.   From a pay-phone or mobile phone, the cost is enormous.

Normal geographical telephone numbers, i.e. numbers starting with 01 or 02, cost between 0p/min to 3p/min depending on the consumers telecom provider.

When the Department for Education and Skills uses 0870 numbers (and for that matter 0845 numbers), they cost the consumer/taxpayer far more than a normal geographical number. By your answer, it appears that your telecom provider(s) must  receive the extra profit,  is that correct?   Can you confirm that the Department or any other agency or department, does not receive any income from the use of 0870 numbers.  Why are they used?

--------------------------------------

To the Department for Education and Skills
rammellb@parliament.uk

I notice that all these enquiries by MPs raise concern only over the use of 0870 numbers and some of the replies suggest departments are moving to 0845 numbers in line with COI guidance.

I think somebody ought to draw the attention of all these MPs to the fact that under current Ofcom proposals 0870 are to become normal rate numbers within a year or so whilst 0845 will continue to cost a fortune (especially on PayPhones and mobile phones) for years to come.

So the question they should be using all these departments is why they do not use geographic 01/02 numbers and how soon and at what cost those departments could return to using 01 and 02 geographic phone numbers.

They all also ought to write to Mr Stephen Carter at Ofcom asking him to justify the crass illogic of the current Ofcom 0845 proposals.  As we know Ofcom is supposedly only accountable to Parliament as a whole and not to an Ombudsman and not to government ministers.  Somebody ought to try to put forward an amendment to the Communications Act 2003 setting up a telecommunications ombudsman.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 Jan 2006 (pt 21)

<<
HOME DEPARTMENT

0870 Numbers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available. [24456]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Available records indicate that the 0870 numbers given in the following table have been used by the Home Office and its agencies. On 15 September 2005 the 0870 Home Office general public inquiry number was replaced with a geographical number. The department received no income from calls to the switchboard.

24 Jan 2006 : Column 2010W

The 0870 numbers used by the Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau (INEB) have been in existence since December 1998 and are published widely. The then Home Secretary, Jack Straw, in March 1998 agreed to the use of 0870 numbers on the understanding that IND re-invest monies earned into improving the telephone bureau operation and thereby customer service. In spring 2002, £750,000 was used to purchase a switchboard with increased functionality for INEB.

Figures are not available for the last five years. For the period one January 2004 to 31 August 2004, IND received £72,067 from BT for the use of 0870 telephone numbers. IND now take no revenue. The use of 0870 numbers in IND is being reviewed. The UK Passport Service have no record of the revenue generated before the financial year 2002-03.

The following revenue was generated:
 £  
2002-03 230,593.85  
2003-04 252,127.53  
2004-05 383,264.74  
1 April to 31 October 2005 238,605.96  


The Criminal Records Bureau operates as a public/private partnership with Capita Plc and operates six 0870 telephone numbers as contact numbers for the public. The Home Office receives no revenue for calls made to these numbers.

0870 Numbers in use within the Home Office
 
Home Office Public Enquiries(replaced with 020 7035 4848 on 15 September 2005) 0870 000 1585  
 
Immigration and Nationality Directorate  
Main 0870 606 7766  
Application Forms 0870 241 0645  
Complaints 0870 241 6523  
 
UK Passport Service  
Main 0870 521 0410  
Textphone 0870 240 8090  
High Street Partners 0870 243 4477  
Complaints 0870 241 1902  
Siemens Business Services (initial application check) 0870 125 1256  
 
Criminal Record Bureau  
Main 0870 909 0811  
Registration 0870 909 0822  
Disclosure applications 0870 909 0844  
Minicom 0870 909 0344  
Disputes 0870 909 0778  
Welsh language line 0870 909 0223  
 
HM Prison Service  
Main 0870 000 1397  
HMP Holloway 0870 000 0575  
TOGETHER  
Advice to practitioners on tackling anti-social behaviour 0870 220 2000  
 
Crime Reduction  
Advice on preventing car crime 0870 000 8518  
 
Security Industry Authority 0870 243 0100  
>>

How do you find these things idb.

Are you sure you shouldn't be applying for a job vacancy with the FBI or CIA rather than in the IT department of a bank?

idb wrote on Jan 31^st, 2006 at 12:48am:

For the period one January 2004 to 31 August 2004, IND received £72,067 from BT for the use of 0870 telephone numbers. IND now take no revenue.

So do they just let BT keep the money now?  :o
Is it meant to be a good thing that they now take no money while still using 0870 numbers?  ::)


idb wrote on Jan 31^st, 2006 at 12:48am:

The Criminal Records Bureau operates as a public/private partnership with Capita Plc and operates six 0870 telephone numbers as contact numbers for the public. The Home Office receives no revenue for calls made to these numbers.

which leaves open the question as to whether the PPP receives any money.  :-/


idb wrote on Jan 31^st, 2006 at 12:48am:

0870 Numbers in use within the Home Office

and he's given no info about income from any of the following numbers!  >:(

I expect BT now discount this department's outgoing call charges or line rental instead of handing any cash back.  That is the dishonest game the BBC use to claim they do not receive any cash back on their 0870 telephone numbers run by Capita.

Capita are a disgraceful NTS scam leading organisation of the worst kind also responsible for all the BBC 0870s.  Their only motivation is short term profit for their overpaid and bloated directors rather than long term happy customer relations between the organisation's they work for and the customers of those organisations.

Have just asked our local MP to have a look at http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1130983483/0

Others may also find it helpful to do likewise through http://www.writetothem.com/write  ;)

wrote on Jan 31^st, 2006 at 1:02am:

How do you find these things idb. Are you sure you shouldn't be applying for a job vacancy with the FBI or CIA rather than in the IT department of a bank?

Various standard search engines with appropriate terms tend to yield the answers.

As a non-citizen, a job with the feds is very difficult. Not impossible, but not easy! In general, the federal government here will typically only employ US citizens. For state, county and city government, the situation is usually different.

idb wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2006 at 10:12pm:

As a non-citizen, a job with the feds is very difficult. Not impossible, but not easy! In general, the federal government here will typically only employ US citizens. For state, county and city government, the situation is usually different.

Do MI5 or MI6 have the same rules about who they are prepared to employ.

Of course a lot of the people they might be most worried about in any case hold UK passports quite legitimately.

I got a US passport and a UK passport. Yes both are still valid.

I however treat my uk passport as my main one.

mc661 wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2006 at 11:07pm:

I got a US passport and a UK passport. Yes both are still valid. I however treat my uk passport as my main one.

I wonder if dual American and foreign nationals are allowed by the CIA or FBI.

Imagine if someone held both American and Iraqi nationality!

wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2006 at 10:45pm:

idb wrote on Feb 3rd, 2006 at 10:12pm: As a non-citizen, a job with the feds is very difficult. Not impossible, but not easy! In general, the federal government here will typically only employ US citizens. For state, county and city government, the situation is usually different. Do MI5 or MI6 have the same rules about who they are prepared to employ.

When I worked in the civil service, my department would (I think) only employ British citizens, at least when I first started. This may well have now changed. As far as I recall, MI5 will only employ British citizens. I don't know about MI6.

For working within Ofcom, I'm sure nationality is irrelevant. What is important is that the higher up the position, the more clueless the applicant needs to be.

idb wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2006 at 11:20pm:

For working within Ofcom, I'm sure nationality is irrelevant. What is important is that the higher up the position, the more clueless the applicant needs to be.

People of principle or integrity likely to take a stand for the citizen consumer need not apply for posts with Ofcom or its Consumer or Advisory Panels for the Nations as I have already discovered.

The successful Ofcom employee is ruthlessly ambitious for increases in salary and improved job title status within Ofcom but is prepared to write up his reports in any way that the Ofcom Board tips the wink that they would like to see as being the outcome. >:( :o

wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2006 at 11:17pm:

mc661 wrote on Feb 3rd, 2006 at 11:07pm: I got a US passport and a UK passport. Yes both are still valid. I however treat my uk passport as my main one. I wonder if dual American and foreign nationals are allowed by the CIA or FBI. Imagine if someone held both American and Iraqi nationality!

Probably more people than you may think. Unlike the UK, the US grants citizenship to virtually anyone^# born in the US. The citizenship is automatic. Even if the parents are in the US illegally, and are awaiting deportation, a child born in the US is automatically a US citizen. Of course other citizenship may well apply, but the fact remains that the child is a US citizen.  I also believe that a US citizen *must* enter and leave the US using a US passport. Using any other passport is an offence!

# Except diplomats, heads of state etc.

idb wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2006 at 11:29pm:

Probably more people than you may think. Unlike the UK, the US grants citizenship to virtually anyone# born in the US. The citizenship is automatic. Even if the parents are in the US illegally, and are awaiting deportation, a child born in the US is automatically a US citizen. Of course other citizenship may well apply, but the fact remains that the child is a US citizen.  I also believe that a US citizen *must* enter and leave the US using a US passport. Using any other passport is an offence! # Except diplomats, heads of state etc.

What I meant was I wonder if the CIA and FBI allow American citizens who have dual, triple or even quadruple nationality with other countries to work for either of them?  For instance what if someone was a US citizen and an Iraqi or Libyan or Algerian at the same time.................... :o

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 2 Feb 2006 (pt 7)

<<
2 Feb 2006 : Column 645W

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

0870 Numbers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 291W, on 0870 numbers, what contractual arrangements his Department has for the provision of non-profit making 0870 lines. [37643]

Alun Michael: Cable and Wireless provide the 0870 lines deployed directly by the Department of Trade and Industry. Under current arrangements the threshold for revenue to return to the Department is set at 359,999 call minutes per year for each 0870 line. The low volume of calls on the 0870 lines means that these thresholds have not been reached.

These services can be terminated with three months notice. Other 0870 lines are supplied by BT and managed by sub-contractors through two DTI funded contracts providing support for UK bidders into the EU's sixth Framework Programme for RTD. These BT lines attracted set up charges of up to £250 per number and continue to attract rental charges of £200 per annum, which is absorbed into the overall cost of the contracts. Calls to these numbers are charged at national rate, so are not revenue earning for either DTI or our contractors. The two contracts are due to run until the end of 2006.
>>

I see Alun Michael has been promoted to minister for complete BS. What hope is there when a minister believes these calls are 'national rate' therefore are not 'revenue earning'?

idb wrote on Feb 8^th, 2006 at 3:11am:

I see Alun Michael has been promoted to minister for complete BS. What hope is there when a minister believes these calls are 'national rate' therefore are not 'revenue earning'?

Have you considered emailing Mr Michael (michaela@parliament.uk) highlighting the erroneous nature of his understanding of 0870 numbers and guidances such as the ASA's Stop the Call Confusion.

Also why not email Vince Cable suggesting he ask another Parliamentary Question saying "further to my question of xxx is the  Minister aware of guidances from the ASA and Ofcom regarding the correct description of 0870 numbers and is he aware of the recent statements made by Mr Ian Livingston, MD of BT Retail, regarding 0870 numbers.

Emails to Vince Cable on this topic always receive a Read Receipt, unlike many Parliamentary colleagues who treat such communications as spam and delete them.

See http://business.scotsman.com/banking.cfm?id=764772005

and

www.asa.org.uk/cap/news_events/news/2005/Hanging+on+the+telephone+on+and+on+and+on.htm

and

www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2004/10/nr_20041022

and

www.cap.org.uk/cap/news_events/news/2005/CAP+rings+the+changes+for+telecoms+providers.htm

and

www.cap.org.uk/asa/adjudications/non_broadcast/Adjudication+Details.htm?Adjudication_id=38190

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Friday 3 March 2006
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Friday 3 March 2006

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) her Department and (ii) public bodies which report to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by her Department.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) her Department and (ii) agencies which report to her.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) her Department and (ii) agencies which report to her.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) her Department and (ii) agencies which report to her.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) public bodies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him.

As I was sent in to help this lady's campaign as part of mutual aid during the General Election I suppose I shouln't knock her intentions but surely she should be asking for numbers of calls per year to each 08 number and details of any revenue share received or artificially reduced telecoms supplier contract cost (for 0845s in particular) due to the revenue share kickback to the telecoms supplier.

Surely she also ought to be asking if each of these agencies/departments intend to ensure that a geographical alternative given equal publicity is urgently made available and publicised so that our poorest citizens and consumers are not disadvantaged as recommended by Ofcom.

Also she ought to ask for a value to be assigned to the additional amount of call costs paid by the general public due to the use of 084 and 087 numbers for calling those departments compared to that which would have prevailed if geographic phone numbers had been used.  Still she doesn't seem to have asked any previous questions on all this so it seems likely that a constituent or someone similar has asked her to ask these questions.

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 7 Mar 2006 (pt 3)

7 Mar 2006 : Column 713

Mr. Mark Lancaster (North-East Milton Keynes) (Con): I understand why the Minister does not allow dentists to use 0870 telephone numbers, but why has she allowed the practice to persist in the NHS as a whole, particularly for patient hotlines?

Ms Winterton: I am not sure whether I understand the hon. Gentleman's point. Is he saying that patients have to use a different number to make an appointment? That is not current practice. Most people contact their dentist by ringing an ordinary number.

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 7 Mar 2006 (pt 5)

Telephone Charges (Hospitals)
15. Helen Jones (Warrington, North) (Lab): If she will make a statement on charges made to hospital patients for telephone calls. [56307]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr. Liam Byrne): Bedside telephones represent an enhanced service, providing additional choice for patients. Outgoing calls cost 10p per minute. Patients not wishing to use those services, which are made available at no cost to the NHS, remain free to use hospital payphones, as they have always been able to do in the past.

Helen Jones: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. But what would he say to a constituent of mine, a pensioner, who found that she was being charged 49p per minute to ring to her husband in hospital via Patientline and was forced to listen to a minute of blurb from Patientline before she even got through? It was also costing her husband 20p before he got through to her. Does that not represent an exploitation of vulnerable people? Will the Minister issue some guidance to trusts on negotiating those contracts to ensure that patients are not exploited in this way?

Mr. Byrne: My hon. Friend raises an important point, which was highlighted by Ofcom recently. Partly as a result of that report, the Department of Health has set up a review group to explore the issue of costs to users of those systems, including the price of incoming calls. The first meeting of that group is today.

Mr. Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): The hon. Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) has raised an important matter, but what she failed to say is that if someone rings Patientline and listens to the two minutes of blurb but the patient is not there, they are still charged 49p a minute. It is outrageous. We do not need a review; we need that stopped.

Mr. Byrne: The hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point. However, market research shows that 72 per cent. of patients thought that the system offered good value for money—[Interruption.] As my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) has pointed out, there are concerns, but it provides a service worth £150 million at no cost to the NHS. However, this is an issue that needs further consideration. That is why the review group has been set up.

It seems the temperature of the water is getting rather hot on this one in Parliament.  Sooner or later the Department of Health will have to pay off Patientline to reduce call costs down to say 0870 levels.

but it provides a service worth £150 million at no cost to the NHS.

And he really believes that they are providing this service because they're generous and look after sick people.

They provide the service free of charge, because the cost of using the service is obtained from charging the patients above market rates for outgoing calls, and charge above market rates to people who call patients.  The difference between those rates, and the market rates for 01/02 numbers is the profit they make (minus the admin costs etc)

Do they also think that the vending machine company, catering contractors, newsagent also provide their service free of charge?  They set up their businesses there to sell to the passing trade.  However they probably charge market rates for their products, and if a visitor wants a chocolate bar, a meal, a newspaper, or flowers and choccies (not a good idea if patient is nil by mouth, lol) for the person they're visiting they can choose to buy on the way in or buy at the hospital.

All these companies receive no money from the NHS and are funded entirely by selling to the patients and visitors, and the catering company charges similair rates to a cafe, and the newsagent doesn't charge double the price for newspapers.

Therefore why can't Patientline charge at best 01/02 rates or at the very most, 0870 rates for incoming calls, and payphone rates for outgoing calls, and for the use of the telephone, BT line rental rates per day for having access to the phone.  And as for Sky TV, then what about Sky TV rates per day for those services.

Admittedly, having Sky TV is a luxury, but having phone access in a place where mobile phones are banned, and people are more likely to want to contact you, is a higher priority.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 Mar 2006 (pt 24)

Departmental Telephone Numbers
Anne Milton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) her Department and (ii) public bodies which report to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs. [56533]

Ms Harman: The Department, including its Agencies, has a total of eleven 0800 numbers; fifty four 0845 numbers and fifty three 0870 numbers. A list of the numbers is as follows.

0800

0800 0156510
0800 3121159
0800 3583506
0800 3121159
0800 7833314
0800 0850982
0800 4320432
0800 0685029
0800 0685038
0800 0685048
0800 0560559

0845
0845 6045935
0845 3302964
0845 3302962
0845 3302963
0845 3455303
0845 3455484
0845 4565150
08454568770
0845 4085302
0845 4085303
0845 4085314
0845 4085315
0845 4085316
0845 4085317
0845 4085318
0845 6000730
0845 6000710
0845 6000736
0845 9616473
0845 6060766
0845 3555567
0845 3555155
0845 4085304
0845 4085305
0845 4085306
0845 4085310
0845 4085311
0845 4085312
0845 4085313
0845 4085322
0845 6015889
0845 4085319
0845 6000722
0845 6000788
0845 6000629
0845 6022064
0845 6015889
0845 7078607
0845 015935
0845 7045007
0845 6020012
0845 6020015
0845 6020013
0845 6020016
0845 6020014
0845 6017124
0845 6017136
0845 6017125
0845 6066035
0845 6017134
0845 6000490
0845 3302900
0845 7078607
0845 7045007


0870

0870 2204100
0870 2204101
0870 2204102
0870 2204103
0870 2204104
0870 2204105
0870 2204106
0870 2204107
0870 2204108
0870 2204109
0870 2204110
0870 2204111
0870 2204112
0870 2204113
0870 2204114
0870 2204115
0870 2204116
0870 2204117
0870 2204118
0870 2204134
0870 2204135
0870 2204136
0870 2204137
0870 2204138
0870 2204139
0870 2204411
0870 2410109
0870 9088060
0870 9088062
0870 9088063
0870 9088069
0870 0108318
0870 0100299
0870 0200026
0870 0100910
0870 0101116
0870 0101117
0870 0101221

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 Mar 2006 (pt 26)

Departmental Telephone Numbers
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845
and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him. [56532]

Mr. Hain: The following telephone numbers for the public are administered by the Northern Ireland Office.

Telephone number Name  
0800 3160258 Family Care Line, Maghaberry Prison  
0800 1070345 Family care Line, Magilligan Prison  
0800 3160189 Family care Line, Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre and Prison  
0845 2470002 Northern Ireland Prisoner Release Victim Information Scheme  

...

Q130 Chairman: We will take that as a yes, shall we?

Mr Carter: Possibly there are definitely lessons to be learnt from it and we have been pretty public about those lessons and I think that is the way we have approached it and the research has given us some quite good tips about if you are going to liberalise the following markets how do you do it in a more measured way, and one of the key lessons that comes out of it - slightly relating back to the lady's question - is about consumer information. One of the thing that happened when that market was liberalised was previously everyone had got used to 192, a single service provider that had been around for a long, long time, and then there was a flurry of new providers who were all arguing their own case; but there was no neutral point of information at the point of the transition. So, for example, if you go back to our proposals on retail price control deregulation one of the things that we are proposing there is that over the summer period if we do deregulate retail price controls we will have a public information campaign explaining that change of rules, so that there is a neutral point of information at the point of the transition. That was a lesson we learned out of Directory Enquiries, so we have tried to learn lessons where we can.

Q131 Mr Evans: You said that you can name three of the numbers. I could only name one this morning when I started to think myself and it is probably the one of the three that you can name.

Mr Carter: Very probably!

Q132 Mr Evans: So would it not have been better in some regards to have treated 192, which was hugely popular, you could say that everybody knew the number and it was cheaper in many respects than some of the services that are currently available - and I agree with Claire that for the vast majority of people out there they do not have the faintest idea what they are paying for Directory Enquiry services when they get through - to have controlled it or regulated it somewhat like Camelot and then put it on the market every seven years for somebody else, like a franchise?

Lord Currie: That would have been another approach to deregulation, that is certainly right. It is worth recalling that quite a lot of people did not appreciate that they were paying for 192 calls under the old regime, so the old regime is not necessarily rosy in the way it is looked at.

Chairman: It was kindly priced, just below the sum that showed an itemised bill, I think, so that you did not know - 49 point something pence!

Q133 Mr Evans: Can I ask you, Lord Currie, looking at the options and the franchise route; do you think that would have been better for the consumer?

Lord Currie: I do not know. It certainly would have been an alternative but I am not sure that it would necessarily have been an appropriate way for transition because what we now have is a regime in which any new entrant could come in, and they will only do that if they have a sensible business case. But I think that is a better regime than one where there are only a certain limited number of franchises.

Q134 Mr Evans: The vast majority of people are using just two of those numbers and the majority just one because that is the one they know.

Mr Carter: You raise very interesting questions. On a larger scale this is what the cable industry has just gone through in 20 years - 110 multiple service operators rationalised now down to one. You could ask in retrospect was it a good idea to licence 110 MSOs? It probably was not but at the time I am sure that it was done out of a desire to drive regional infrastructure at a local level in individual geographies; I am sure that was a well-intentioned decision. It is a very interesting area this question about what is the optimal level of competition and when does a small number of competitors become a kind of collusive market, and you always have to be alert to that, and what you are seeing in Directory Enquiries is the customers aggregating in the main - not entirely - around three or four providers.

Q135 Mr Evans: Can I ask one final question on it, which is do you not think therefore that it would be useful, because you said people find out how much they have been charged when they see it on their bill, that before the number is give people are told how much they are going to be charged for the information?

Mr Carter: It would undoubtedly be useful but whether or not we should mandate it, which I suspect is what is behind your question, is a question I would like to take away.

Q136 Mrs Curtis-Thomas: I have heard some very interesting language to defend some of your actions and I quite like it, simply because it appeals to what I want. You talk about a neutral point of information, and then you have talked about the need for visibility in terms of pricing. You have also referred to the fact that you have made the charges associated with Directory Enquiries available on your own website, which is interesting, but when I searched for comparison of Yellow Pages or Directory Enquiries charges your website did not come up to provide me with that information.

...

...

Lord Currie: I think there is an important distinction that Stephen was making between informing people at the point of, in effect, a regime change, moving from 192 to a variety of 118 numbers, which is what Oftel, we felt, should have been done more, and which we have been aiming to do in other products, from providing information on a continuous basis in an established market. The latter is a very difficult task technically and probably almost impossible to keep up to date, and we are not clear that that is the role for us to be doing that.

Q137 Mrs Curtis-Thomas: I am rather confused, you see, because there are a huge number of gas, oil, electricity and energy providers in this country and yet that task is managed by them, but it seems to me that you cannot even manage it for the Directory Enquiries service providers. I do not think that is rocket science, I think it can be done and I think that it needs to be done to allow people, in your own words, to have a neutral point of information in this very important and costly area, and it is costly for lots of people. Why are you running away from what seems to be a very reasonable ask on behalf of the people of this country?

Mr Carter: I suspect we are not going to agree on the question of how much consumer information should we provide. I will say three things and my Chairman may wish to add in. Firstly, we give this a lot of time and discussion within Ofcom as to where and when we should provide a neutral point of information, and on three or four occasions we have done it. There are specific reasons why we have done it and normally they have involved either a market transition or a particular investigation where there has been a high level of abuse, where there has been a consistent record of failed delivery by the operators. We have decided not to set ourselves up as a permanent independent broker of information across the entire market, for two reasons: firstly, because it would be substantially resource intensive and we do not have the resource to do it; secondly, because we do not believe it is technically doable; and thirdly, there are alternative providers in the market who do it - there are commercial providers. If it is the case that they do not in the areas you are interested in then clearly that is an issue that we should take up with you separately and we can look at the specifics of the case upon which you are asking us to provide more information.

Chairman: I am going to cut off here, if I may, because we have three minutes and there is one area left and it was prompted by something you just said there, Stephen. I was going to say let us move on to telephone numbers, and I did not mean the numbering plan, but your budget because you said you did not have enough resources. I think John Whittingdale, my fellow Chairman, has a few thoughts about resources.

Q138 Mr Whittingdale: Yes. Stephen, in your message of your parliamentary bulletin you proudly tell us that Ofcom will deliver for less and you point out that you have achieved a real terms budget reduction for the third consecutive year, which is commendable. But your budget is still nearly £130m whereas the budget of the Telecom Regulator in France is £12.9m and the US Federal Communications Commission, which does include broadcasting, which I accept the French one does not, manages to cover the whole of America with £170m. Why are you so expensive?

Mr Carter: You speak from a position of knowledge I do not have, Chairman, on the French ART and FCC comparisons, and I will very happily go to France and indeed go to Washington and do the analysis and come back and answer your question.

Q139 Rob Marris: Just do not call home when you are there!

Mr Carter: We will go next year, it will be cheaper! What I can comment on with some degree of authority is how the numbers compare to the previous costs of doing regulation in this country, which is what we are responsible for; I do not know the reach of the US and the French authorities but I suspect that they are substantially different although the names and descriptions may suggest similarities. When I do compare them to the previous costs of regulation in this country we are as we say.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Sep 2006 (pt 2356)

<<
Departmental Telephone Lines
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the money that is raised from his Department's 0870 prefix contact telephone number is spent. [27132]

Mr. Byrne: The public inquiries telephone contact telephone number 0870 000 1585 was replaced with a geographic number in September 2005. Prior to that date any revenue generated was returned to HM Treasury, and not spent by the Home Office.
>>

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Sep 2006 (pt 2356)

<<
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total (a) cost to callers and (b) revenue to his Department was from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate number 0870 606 7766 in each year that the number has been in operation. [81680]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 29 June 2006]: Information on call charges and revenue for phone number 0870 606 7766 is available for the financial years April 2002 to March 2006 presented in the following table. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) ceased taking any revenue from this number from 1 April 2005.

£
April to March Cost to callers, IND revenue
2002-03
504,166.00
88,333.00

2003-04
549,496.00
97,212.00

2004-05
639,549.00
108,151.00

2005-06
741,388.00
0.00
>>

idb wrote on Aug 16^th, 2006 at 11:26pm:

Q138 Mr Whittingdale: Yes. Stephen, in your message of your parliamentary bulletin you proudly tell us that Ofcom will deliver for less and you point out that you have achieved a real terms budget reduction for the third consecutive year, which is commendable. But your budget is still nearly £130m whereas the budget of the Telecom Regulator in France is £12.9m and the US Federal Communications Commission, which does include broadcasting, which I accept the French one does not, manages to cover the whole of America with £170m. Why are you so expensive? Mr Carter: You speak from a position of knowledge I do not have, Chairman, on the French ART and FCC comparisons, and I will very happily go to France and indeed go to Washington and do the analysis and come back and answer your question. Q139 Rob Marris: Just do not call home when you are there! Mr Carter: We will go next year, it will be cheaper! What I can comment on with some degree of authority is how the numbers compare to the previous costs of doing regulation in this country, which is what we are responsible for; I do not know the reach of the US and the French authorities but I suspect that they are substantially different although the names and descriptions may suggest similarities. When I do compare them to the previous costs of regulation in this country we are as we say.

So Carter, who is still the CEO of this outfit for a few more weeks, has never bothered investigating why other countries can regulate so much more cheaply! ::) :o

Good question though by Mr Whittingdale.

Also the lady who asked him about the failure to get proper price comparisons on 118 prices going was good.  Why is it that www.uswitch.com or www.saveonyourbills.co.uk and all those sites don't do a table showing the cost of all 118 providers currently in operation.  Of course if you have Uswitch access you won't use 118 anyway except of course perhaps from your mobile phone or a public phone.

Lastly I had to post in this thread because some miserable bugger or computer had cancelled my subscription to it so I didn't get an email notification for the new post, even though you can see I have posted in this thread before.  Or do susbcriptions auto cancel if a thread has had no messages for x weeks or months? :-/

Lastly how can they not have asked partners in crime Carter and Currie about 084/7 NGNS prices or the Patientline 070 ripoff.  I think Patientline questions could have got a lot hotter on there being no adequate competition than DQ did.

Order Book Part 2

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 20 November 2006
(the 'Questions Book')

283
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average cost per caller to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate number 0870 606 7766 was in each year the number has been in operation.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 06 Nov 2006 (pt 0001)

Departmental Telephone Numbers
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Prime Minister how many ministerial offices have 0870 telephone numbers on their headed notepaper; which are the ministries concerned; and what instructions are given to the switchboards of each such ministry about access to private offices. [99068]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Boateng) to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) on 16 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1237-38W.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 25 Oct 2006 (pt 0001)

Departmental Telephone Numbers
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list telephone numbers available for use by members of the general public to contact his Department; what the purpose is of each; and if he will make a statement. [32798]

Mr. Byrne: The information is given in the table.

Number Purpose Type
0870 521 0410
Passport advice line
Phone

0870 240 8090
Passport advice line
Minicom

0870 243 4477
Passport enquiries for High Street Partners
Phone

0870 2431902
Passport Complaints
Phone

0870 909 0778
Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure dispute line
Phone

0870 909 0844
Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure application line
Phone

0870 909 0344
Criminal Records Bureau
Minicom

0870 241 4680
Home Office's mailing house, Prolog
Phone

0870 241 4786
Home Office's mailing house, Prolog
Fax

0870 000 1585
Public Enquiries (new number: 020 7035 4848)
Phone

0870 220 2000
TOGETHER (advice line for practitioners on tackling antisocial behaviour).
Phone

0870 336 9031
Contact Private Office to John Reid
Fax

0870 336 9032
Contact Private Office to Baroness Scotland
Fax

0870 336 9033
Contact Private Office to Vernon Coaker
Fax

0870 336 9034
Contact Private Office to Liam Byrnes
Fax

0870 336 9035
Contact Private Office to Tony McNulty
Fax

0870 336 9036
Contact Private Office to Joan Ryan
Fax

0870 336 9038
Contact Private Office to Gerry Sutcliffe
Fax

0870 336 9048
Contact Parliamentary Branch
Fax

0870 336 9045
Contact Ministers' Special Advisers
Phone

0870 336 9041
Contact Private Office Management Support Unit
Phone

0870 336 9039
Contact Helen Edwards (Home Office Board Member)
Phone

0870 336 9037
Contact Permanent Secretary's Office
Phone


25 Oct 2006 : Column 1987W
0870 606 1592
Immigration cases currently under consideration
Phone

0870 000 8518
Advice on preventing car crime (new number: 020 7035 4848)
Phone

0870 243 0100
Security Industry Authority
Phone

0800 389 7913
Asylum Support Adjudicators
Phone

0800 587 5572
Work Permits UK Helpline
Phone

0845 010 6677
Employers' Helpline
Phone

0845 039 8002
PROSPECTS helpline
Phone

0845 601 1143
IND Telephone Enquiry Bureau
Fax

0845 601 2298
IND Evidence and Enquiry line
Phone

0870 000 1397
HM Prison Service enquiries
Phone

0870 240 3781
Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau (enforcement and removals)
Phone

0845 300 2002
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Phone

0870 909 0811
Criminal Records Bureau information line
Phone

0870 909 0822
Criminal Records Bureau registration line
Phone

020 7035 4848
Enquiries about centralised Home Office responsibilities
Phone

020 7035 4745
Enquiries about centralised Home Office responsibilities
Fax

020 7035 4742
Enquiries about centralised Home Office responsibilities
Minicom

0845 602 1739
Enquiries about asylum support applications
Phone

0870 606 7766
Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau
Phone

0800 389 8289
Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau
Minicom

0870 241 0645
Requests for immigration application forms
Phone

0845 010 5200
Nationality telephone enquiries
Phone

0114 207 4074
Work Permit telephone enquiries
Phone

0870 521 0224
Request for work permit application forms
Phone

0121 704 5450
Booking appointments at Birmingham Public Enquiry Office
Phone

0151 237 0405
Booking appointments at Liverpool Public Enquiry Office
Phone

0151 237 0473
Booking appointments at Liverpool Public Enquiry Office
Phone

0845 600 0914
Voucher and discontinuation helpline
Phone

0141 555 1258
Booking appointments at Glasgow Public Enquiry Office
Phone


25 Oct 2006 : Column 1988W
0870 241 6523
Enquiries about the work of the IND Complaints Unit and advice to callers about how to complain
Phone

020 8760 4310
Enquiries about the work of the IND Complaints Unit and advice to callers about how to complain
Fax

020 7008 8302
Enquiries relating to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Gulf States
Fax

020 7008 8361
Enquiries relating to Africa
Fax

020 7008 8359
Enquiries relating to rest of world
Fax

0845 010 5555
Enquiries about visas
Phone

020 7008 8457
Enquiries about visas
Minicom

01934 528740
Enquiries about Avon and Somerset Local Probation Area
Phone

01934 528797
Enquiries about Avon and Somerset Local Probation Area
Fax

01234 213541
Enquiries about Bedfordshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01234 327497
Enquiries about Bedfordshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01223 712345
Enquiries about Cambridgeshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01223 568822
Enquiries about Cambridgeshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01244 394500
Enquiries about Cheshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01244 394507
Enquiries about Cheshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01228 560057
Enquiries about Cumbria Local Probation Area
Phone

01228 561164
Enquiries about Cumbria Local Probation Area
Fax

01629 55422
Enquiries about Derbyshire Local Probation Area
Phone

...

...

01629 580838
Enquiries about Derbyshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01392 474100
Enquiries about Devon and Cornwall Local Probation Area
Phone

01392 413563
Enquiries about Devon and Cornwall Local Probation Area
Fax

01305 224786
Enquiries about Dorset Local Probation Area
Phone

01305 225097
Enquiries about Dorset Local Probation Area
Fax

0191 383 9083
Enquiries about Durham Local Probation Area
Phone

0191 383 7979
Enquiries about Durham Local Probation Area
Fax

01267 221567
Enquiries about Dyfed-Powys Local Probation Area
Phone

01267 221566
Enquiries about Dyfed-Powys Local Probation Area
Fax


25 Oct 2006 : Column 1989W
01376 501626
Enquiries about Essex Local Probation Area
Phone

01376 501174
Enquiries about Essex Local Probation Area
Fax

01452 426250
Enquiries about Gloucestershire Local Probation Area
Phone

01452 426239
Enquiries about Gloucestershire Local Probation Area
Fax

0161 872 4802
Enquiries about Greater Manchester Local Probation Area
Phone

0161 872 3483
Enquiries about Greater Manchester Local Probation Area
Fax

01495 762462
Enquiries about Gwent Local Probation Area
Phone

01495 762461
Enquiries about Gwent Local Probation Area
Fax

01962 842202
Enquiries about Hampshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01962 865278
Enquiries about Hampshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01992 504444
Enquiries about Hertfordshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01992 504544
Enquiries about Hertfordshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01482 867271
Enquiries about Humberside Local Probation Area
Phone

01482 864928
Enquiries about Humberside Local Probation Area
Fax

01622 350820
Enquiries about Kent Local Probation Area
Phone

01622 750333
Enquiries about Kent Local Probation Area
Fax

01772 201209
Enquiries about Lancashire Local Probation Area
Phone

01772 884399
Enquiries about Lancashire Local Probation Area
Fax

0116 251 6008
Enquiries about Leicestershire and Rutland Local Probation Area
Phone

0116 242 3250
Enquiries about Leicestershire and Rutland Local Probation Area
Fax

01522 520776
Enquiries about Lincolnshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01522 527685
Enquiries about Lincolnshire Local Probation Area
Fax

020 7222 5656
Enquiries about London Local Probation Area
Phone

020 7960 1188
Enquiries about London Local Probation Area
Fax

0151 920 9201
Enquiries about Merseyside Local Probation Area
Phone

0151 949 0528
Enquiries about Merseyside Local Probation Area
Fax


25 Oct 2006 : Column 1990W
01603 220100
Enquiries about Norfolk Local Probation Area
Phone

01603 664019
Enquiries about Norfolk Local Probation Area
Fax

01604 658000
Enquiries about Northamptonshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01604 658004
Enquiries about Northamptonshire Local Probation Area
Fax

0191 281 5721
Enquiries about Northumbria Local Probation Area
Phone

0191 281 3548
Enquiries about Northumbria Local Probation Area
Fax

01492 513413
Enquiries about North Wales Local Probation Area
Phone

01492 513373
Enquiries about North Wales Local Probation Area
Fax

01609 778644
Enquiries about North Yorkshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01609 778321
Enquiries about North Yorkshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01158 406500
Enquiries about Nottinghamshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01158 406502
Enquiries about Nottinghamshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01656 674747
Enquiries about South Wales Local Probation Area
Phone

01656 674799
Enquiries about South Wales Local Probation Area
Fax

0114 276 6911
Enquiries about South Yorkshire Local Probation Area
Phone

0114 275 2868
Enquiries about South Yorkshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01785 22 3416
Enquiries about Staffordshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01785 223108
Enquiries about Staffordshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01473 408130
Enquiries about Suffolk Local Probation Area
Phone

01473 408136
Enquiries about Suffolk Local Probation Area
Fax

01483 860191
Enquiries about Surrey Local Probation Area
Phone

01483 860295
Enquiries about Surrey Local Probation Area
Fax

01273 227979
Enquiries about Sussex Local Probation Area
Phone

01273 620581
Enquiries about Sussex Local Probation Area
Fax

01642 230533
Enquiries about Teesside Local Probation Area
Phone

01642 220083
Enquiries about Teesside Local Probation Area
Fax


25 Oct 2006 : Column 1991W
01869 255300
Enquiries about Thames Valley Local Probation Area
Phone

01869 255355
Enquiries about Thames Valley Local Probation Area
Fax

01926 405800
Enquiries about Warwickshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01926 403183
Enquiries about Warwickshire Local Probation Area
Fax

01562 748375
Enquiries about West Mercia Local Probation Area
Phone

01562 748407
Enquiries about West Mercia Local Probation Area
Fax

0121 248 6666
Enquiries about West Midlands Local Probation Area
Phone

0121 248 6667
Enquiries about West Midlands Local Probation Area
Fax

01924 885300
Enquiries about West Yorkshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01924 382256
Enquiries about West Yorkshire Local Probation Area
Fax

...

...

01225 781960
Enquiries about Wiltshire Local Probation Area
Phone

01225 781969
Enquiries about Wiltshire Local Probation Area
Fax

[end]

House of Commons - Transport - Written Evidence

BUS USAGE

4. Where people have become unaccustomed to using bus services, they may have little or no knowledge of how to travel by public transport. The fall in usage has in many areas caused reduced frequencies and so the need for detailed information is greater. Traveline has been established to try and make it easier for people to enquire about public transport.


5. Before Traveline was established in 2000, 43 local authority telephone numbers and various bus operators handled bus enquiries with widely varying standards of service. Traveline now handles 5.5 million calls a year on its 0870 608 2 608 number and over eight million enquiries on the internet. In addition, it provides its data to "Transport Direct" that also handles internet enquiries. The same data provides "traveline-txt"—an SMS text messaging service being launched in most parts of the UK to give the next buses due at a particular bus stop.


6. Enquiries by internet and SMS are rising. The level of telephone calls is not rising as fast. The ONS Omnibus investigation of people who have used travel info services in GB found that only 13% of the people surveyed had heard of the Traveline service and 4% had used it. This compares to 68% who had heard of the more long-established "National Rail Enquiries" and 28% who had used it.


7. We believe that these figures indicate that there is still work to do to promote the availability of information about bus services, particularly via the newer internet and SMS channels.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Nov 2006 (pt 0001)

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost per caller to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate number 0870 606 7766 was in each year the number has been in operation. [102002]

Mr. Byrne: Information on call charges and revenue for phone number 0870 606 7766 is available for the following years—January 2003 to December 2005.

The average cost to caller has been calculated on the basis of dividing the number of calls answered in a year by the total cost to callers. This will provide an average. Clearly some calls last longer than the average and some are less than the average.

Average cost figures have been rounded up/down to the nearest penny.


Number of calls answered/Cost to callers (£)/Average cost per caller (pence)
January to December
   
2003
893,398/549,821/62

2004
1,047,593/616,763/59

2005
1,138,756/712,601/63

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Nov 2006 (pt 0001)

Telephone Inquiry Lines

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost is of switching (a) his Department's and (b) its agencies' telephone inquiry lines to freephone numbers. [102618]

Gillian Merron: The estimated cost of switching telephone inquiry lines to freephone numbers is as follows.


Estimated cost Notes
DfT(C)
£20,000 per year.
Estimated cost of switching the main DfT enquiry/switchboard number to a freephone number.

DVLA
£5.5 million to change from 0870 to 0800 freephone plus £2 million per year charges from the service provider.
—

DSA
No figures available.
Initial assessments suggest high costs as charges for over 15,000 calls per month would have to be levied on the costs of theory and practical driving tests, negating the net benefit to the customer. However, DSA is currently assessing the feasibility of switching to a set charge per minute rate, which should limit the cost to between 1p and 5p per minute.

HA
£8,000 per year.
—

MCGA
£5,000 in first year, with future costs of £1,000 per year.
—

VOSA
There would be no fee to switch inquiry line to a freephone number. Call charges and quarterly fees would then vary according to the call plan chosen.
—

VGA '
n/a
VGA does not have an inquiry line.

GCDA
n/a
GCDA does not have an inquiry line.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies accrued from national rate telephone lines in each of the last five years. [102620]

Gillian Merron: The following revenue was accrued from national rate telephone lines in each of the last five years:

Revenue accrued in last five years (£) Notes
DfT(C)
 n/a
The Department does not use any national rate numbers

   
DVLA
2003-04
875,000
Information not available before 2003-04

2004-05
1,945,000
 
2005-06
2,423,000
 
2006-07
(1)1,601,000
 
   
DSA
2001-02
371 ,000
 
2002-03
370,000
 
2003-04
714,000
 
2004-05
1,463,000
 
2005-06
833,000
 
   
HA
2005-06
1,000
The one revenue-generating line was not set up until March 2005

   
MCGA
—
n/a
MCGA has no revenue-generating telephone lines

   
VOSA
2004-05
12,500
Cannot separately identify telephone line revenue before April 2004


28 Nov 2006 : Column 527W

28 Nov 2006 : Column 528W
 2005-06
67,900
 
2006-07
(2)51,020
 
   
VGA
—
n/a
VGA has no revenue-generating lines

   
GCDA
—
n/a
GCDA has no revenue-generating lines

(1) to October (2) to end October

Business Statement - Thursday 23 November 2006

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab): My right hon. Friend has a long reputation for protecting the interests of Parliament and the electorate, so will he ask the Cabinet Office either to direct private offices to stop using 0870 numbers for people to approach them by telephone or to give a full statement of the amount of money raised by that method in order that the House may take a view?

Mr. Straw: Yes, I will. My hon. Friend has raised the matter with me, and it is completely unacceptable for Members of Parliament to be fobbed off with 0870 numbers as the only available number for contacting the private office. I am making that clear to my ministerial colleagues.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Nov 2006 (pt 0001)

Car Tax

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue has been generated by the premium rate phone line for the renewal of car tax since its introduction. [102738]

Dr. Ladyman: There is no premium rate phone line for the renewal of car tax. However, revenue earned from DVLA's national rate number 0870 8504444 for the renewal of car tax since its introduction to date is £454,535.46.

Interesting that the reply made a point of stating that it isn't 'Premium Rate' - pedantic! Yet makes a point of stating it is 'National Rate' which it isn't :'(

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 08 Jan 2007 (pt 0011)

Telephone Numbers
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the revenue was from use of the 0870 telephone number used by the Office of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Schools) in 2005-06; how many other ministerial private offices in his Department have 0870 telephone numbers printed on their headed notepapers; and what the revenue was from each in 2005-06. [112740]

Mr. Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills does not participate in revenue share schemes associated with 0870 telephone numbers and therefore derives no revenue from the use of these numbers. The headed notepaper used by all ministerial private offices includes a reference to the Department's non revenue share 0870 main switchboard number.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 08 Jan 2007 (pt 0015)

Telephone Services
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps Ofcom is taking to inform the public of the cost of 0871 numbers. [108538]

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Dec 2006 (pt 0035)

Telephone Services
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) schedule and (b) consultation process is for the regulation of 0871 numbers; and if she will make a statement. [108542]

Margaret Hodge: From early 2008, the premium rate services regulator, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) will regulate 0871 telephone
18 Dec 2006 : Column 1608W
numbers. Extension of the regulatory framework for premium rate services is in accordance with the decision of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) published on 19 April 2006, following public consultation. ICSTIS will lead the development of regulatory proposals for the 0871 range of numbers. A decision on how 0871 services will be regulated has not been taken and ICSTIS will consult on plans before they are introduced. An outline timetable proposes public consultation on regulatory safeguards during February and March 2007 with a view to submitting proposals to Ofcom and the EU in July 2007 and ICSTIS' regulation of 0871 services taking effect in January 2008. ICSTIS expect to make available a full project plan early in 2007.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 09 Jan 2007 (pt 0023)

Jobcentre Plus
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the recent performance of Jobcentre Plus in dealing with claimants; and if he will make a statement. [102175]

Mr. Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Leslie Strathie, dated 9 January 2007:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what assessment he has made on the performance of Jobcentre Plus in dealing with claimants. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.

Jobcentre Plus employs around 71,000 staff dealing with some 235 million contacts from customers per year. Every working day, we conduct 36,000 work-focused interviews, and process over 15,000 new benefit claims. Through our website, we enable customers to access details of around 300,000 job vacancies.

We are part way through a process to transform the way the business operates to provide improved labour market and benefit services more efficiently and with fewer staff. In our new offices, which are already in place across most of the country, customers experience a more welcoming and professional environment and our Contact Centres and e-channels provide greater flexibility in the ways customers can contact us. I am pleased to say that, this year, Contact Centre performance has consistently exceeded our internal target of answering 90 percent of calls. from customers. In addition, the vast majority of people contacting Jobcentre Plus to make a new claim for benefit can expect to be called back within 36 hours (currently 86 per cent.), helping to ensure that people receive the financial and work-focused support that they need at the earliest possible opportunity.

Following pilots of a new Standard Operating Model in North Lincolnshire and Central London, Jobcentre Plus has begun to roll-out changes to its delivery model to improve further our customer service. Changes to be introduced over the coming months include: an 0800 number for new claims customers, to replace the 0845 service; and a single call to the contact centre to claim benefit.

idb wrote on Jan 13^th, 2007 at 4:47am:

Mr. Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills does not participate in revenue share schemes associated with 0870 telephone numbers and therefore derives no revenue from the use of these numbers. The headed notepaper used by all ministerial private offices includes a reference to the Department's non revenue share 0870 main switchboard number.

Then does the Secretary of State for Education need to resign for having agreed to the use of an 0870 number from which their telco partner is raking off huge profits but is costing callers a fortune with no benefit to the government as well? :o

This answer to this parliamentary question has to be a lie.  I bet they got free phone and switchboard equipment or discounted line rental or an offset on their outgoing calls out of their telecoms supplier instead.

idb wrote on Jan 13^th, 2007 at 4:53am:

Following pilots of a new Standard Operating Model in North Lincolnshire and Central London, Jobcentre Plus has begun to roll-out changes to its delivery model to improve further our customer service. Changes to be introduced over the coming months include: an 0800 number for new claims customers, to replace the 0845 service; and a single call to the contact centre to claim benefit.

Another victory of sorts although one does wonder why they needed to get an 0800 number with all the extra cost implications involved for the government and also problems of extra cost for mobile phone users rather than just a new a 0300 or 0345 phone number charged as per 01/02 phone calls?

The statement from Job Centre above:  (idb #94 - at the end)    “.... Changes to be introduced over the coming months include: an 0800 number for new claims customers, to replace the 0845 service; and a single call to the contact centre to claim benefit.”  is an encouraging sign that the push to eradicate 084x/087x number is having some impact.  When complaining about the use of 084x/087x numbers the Job Centre change of hart is a useful example to quote.

I agree with NGM - they should use the new "03" number.

But incredibly HMRC (nee Inland Revenue) is still training staff to tell callers who complain about their 0845 number that it is charged at "Local Rate".  A member of their call centre staff told me that regardless of what he might personally know about the cost of calls to these numbers that this was what senior management trained him to tell people was the call cost. :o

Some FOIs in that quarter are definitely required.

idb wrote on Jan 13^th, 2007 at 4:53am:

Following pilots of a new Standard Operating Model in North Lincolnshire and Central London, Jobcentre Plus has begun to roll-out changes to its delivery model to improve further our customer service. Changes to be introduced over the coming months include: an 0800 number for new claims customers, to replace the 0845 service; and a single call to the contact centre to claim benefit.

I agree with NGM and kk and use the new 03x number.  As much as I like freephone numbers I believe on this occasion it would cost the government even more money and this would lead to yet higher taxes.  An 03x is a perfect compromise if you ask me.

I fear that it again demonstrates a lack of understanding about mobile tariffs. Probably because they do not pay their own bills.
And also the acceptance of telco insistence that they can not divert 01/02X calls easily...

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Feb 2007 (pt 0033)

NHS: Telephone Services

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to prevent the NHS from using 0870 premium rate telephone numbers for patient hotlines. [123873]

Andy Burnham: We banned national health service dentists, NHS opticians, general practitioner practices and GP out-of-hours providers from using 087 premium rate numbers from April 2005.

Decisions on which telephone numbers and systems to use are taken locally.

My noble Friend, the former Minister of State (Lord Warner) wrote to primary care trusts in December 2006 to draw their attention to the Central Office of Information guidance on telephone numbering—“Cost to the Citizen”. That guidance states that primary care trusts should ensure that NHS dentists, NHS opticians and GP practices, including out-of-hours providers in their area, should consider carefully the best option for their patients.

idb wrote on Feb 28^th, 2007 at 11:44pm:

That guidance states that primary care trusts should ensure that NHS dentists, NHS opticians and GP practices, including out-of-hours providers in their area, should consider carefully the best option for their patients.

i.e. they can do whatever they like as the BBC so arrogantly and repeatedly proves,  so the COI guidelines are completely and utterly useless.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Feb 2007 (pt 0032)

Hospitals: Telephones

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much the company Patientline paid to the national health service in the 2005-06 financial year for the right to provide non-medical services for patients; [120023]

(2) how much profit Patientline made from the provision of non-medical services for NHS patients in 2005-06; what percentage of turnover this represented; and if she will make a statement. [120033]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Patientline provides non-clinical services to patients in the form of bedside television and telephone services in around 117 national health service trusts in England. The company makes no payments to those trusts for the right to provide these services.

Patientline does pay trusts for space rental and reimburses them for the cost of power used by the bedside systems. In one case, it also reimbursed a trust for costs it incurred for cabling used by the Patientline system.

In 2005-06, these payments totalled approximately £400,000, of which £250,000 was for the installation of cabling.

Where Patientline operates payphones for NHS trusts, in non-ward areas, trusts receive a share of the revenue earned. This was just over £100,000 in the last financial year.

Patientline is a publicly listed company. It provides information about its profit and loss in its annual report and accounts.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 28 February 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 28 February 2007

Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Services (ICSTIS) has (a) issued formal reprimands to service providers, (b) ordered service providers to submit future promotions and services to them for prior approval for a set period, (c) ordered a service provider to pay reasonable and valid claims for compensation, (d) imposed fines on service providers, (e) barred service providers access to service and (f) banned named individuals from operating services for set periods for breaching the ICSTIS Code of Practice.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Feb 2007 (pt 0004)

Text Messages

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on the use of unsolicited mobile telephone text messages for which people are charged; and if she will make a statement. [114648]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has received no representations relating to unsolicited mobile telephone text messages. However, the Department of Trade and Industry does receive occasional written correspondence on this issue. It is the Government's aim to have controls that safeguard the consumer but do not hamper the development of the telecommunications market.

Unsolicited text (SMS) messages are illegal under statutory controls that were introduced as part of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. Enforcement is undertaken by the Information Commissioner whose office is a wholly independent body, answerable to Parliament directly rather than to Ministers. The Office will investigate complaints and take formal action against those who have wilfully or negligently continued to breach the Regulations.

Industry safeguards require that consumers must be clearly informed by text about what they have subscribed to, the cost, and how to stop the service (a consumer must be able to switch off the service with the universal ‘stop' command). All the UK mobile operators have signed up to these safeguards and require content providers using their networks to comply with them. If they do not comply, then the networks will suspend the provider's service for breaching the safeguards thereby blocking the service.

The body that governs premium rate services isthe Independent Committee for the Supervisionof Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS). ICSTIS can investigate and fine companies, barring access to services where there is found to be a breach of the regulations. ICSTIS can be contacted at ICSTIS, Freepost WC 5468, London SE1 2BR www.icstis.org.uk. Telephone: 0800 500 212 (free call; Office hours).

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Mar 2007 (pt 0005)

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs of (a) transferring 0845 codes for HM Revenue Customs and Services to a freephone 0800 service and (b) using a system where the customer is informed of his or her place in the telephone queue system and the likely time their call will be answered; and if he will assess the merits of introducing such changes. [127105]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC keeps its policy and practice for handling telephone calls from customers through its centrally managed contact centre network under constant review. It remains HMRC current policy to operate customer facing helplines using an 0845 rather than a "freephone" 0800 prefix as the Department believes this strikes the right balance of cost between the customer and the public purse.

HMRC is however also keeping a close watch on proposals being taken forward by Ofcom to introduce a new range of non-geographic "030" numbers.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Mar 2007 (pt 0029)

Economic and Monetary Union

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to date has been of his Department's Euro Information line on 0845 601 0199. [126748]

Mr. Timms: The Euro Information line was established in 1998 for use by business and the general public to request information or to order published material made available on the Treasury's euro website (www.euro.gov.uk). The cost of Euro Information line is met from within the Treasury's departmental expenditure limit. The direct costs for the helpline currently amount to £185.96 per year plus VAT. The costs of staff time in dealing with calls is not recorded separately.

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls have been made by businesses to his Department's Euro Information line on 0845 601 0199 requesting information on euro introduction or trade with euro area businesses since the introduction of the line. [126752]

Mr. Timms: Information on calls to the line is not available in the format requested. The total number of call minutes to the line from February 2001 to February 2007 was approximately 19,000. It is not recorded how many calls this represents, nor what proportion of the call minutes originated from businesses.

Order Book Part 1

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 15 March 2007

350
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls to the central 0845 608 8564 Jobcentre Plus number were made in each month for which records are available; what the average time taken to answer customer calls to the number was in each month; and how many calls to the number were terminated before being answered in each month.
(127850)  
351
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the maximum cost per minute is of calling the central 0845 608 8564 Jobcentre Plus number from (a) a land line and (b) a mobile telephone.
(127851)  
352
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which sections of Jobcentre Plus have to use the central 0845 608 8564 Jobcentre Plus number to make enquiries with central benefits teams; and which sections have alternative numbers by which to contact central benefit teams.

Lords Hansard text for 20 Mar 200720 Mar 2007 (pt 0001)


Agriculture: Wages

Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:

In what ways they have publicised the existence of the Agricultural Wages Team Helpline; and how incoming migrant workers are informed about the national minimum wage. [HL2557]

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Agricultural Wages Team Helpline is publicised on the Defra website and information about the helpline is included in the agricultural wages order. The number of the helpline is 0845 0000134.

A follow up to post #108

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 29 Mar 2007 (pt 0012)

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many calls to the central 0845 608 8564 Jobcentre Plus number were made in each month for which records are available; what the average time taken to answer customer calls to the number was in each month; and how many calls to the number were terminated before being answered in each month; [127850]

(2) what the maximum cost per minute is of calling the central 0845 608 8564 Jobcentre Plus number from (a) a land line and (b) a mobile telephone; [127851]

(3) which sections of Jobcentre Plus have to use the central 0845 608 8564 Jobcentre Plus number to make inquiries with central benefits teams; and which sections have alternative numbers by which to contact central benefit teams; [127852]

(4) how telephone and fax numbers for central benefits teams are circulated to (a) Jobcentre Plus offices and (b) Citizen's Advice Bureau offices. [127853]

Mr. Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 29 March 2007:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking about calls made to the 08456 088564 Jobcentre Plus number of the Department for Work and Pensions; the use of alternative numbers by Jobcentre Plus; and the circulation of telephone and fax numbers to Jobcentre Plus offices and Citizens Advice Bureau offices. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.


The telephone number 08456 088564 relates to Exeter, which we are currently converting into a Benefits Delivery Centre. The current telephony system only gathers limited management information. The information we hold shows an increase in calls answered each month from 6,426 calls in December 2006 to 7,385 in January 2007 and 7,770 in February 2007. However, the current system does not provide data detailing the average time taken to answer calls or how many calls were terminated before being answered.

An average call lasts about 4 minutes—the calls cost (set by BT) between 1-3p per minute (from a landline) depending on the time of day. Call charges from mobile telephones vary depending on the service provider.

All Jobcentre Plus offices in Somerset were given alternative direct dial telephone numbers for central benefit teams. In addition, an e-mail procedure has been established to allow Jobcentre Plus staff to contact the processing teams, to improve communication. This will be in place by Mid April. The telephone and fax numbers were shared with Citizens Advice Bureau offices by means of a leaflet issued in the week prior to the introduction of the 0845 number on 05 December 2006.

I hope this is helpful.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 16 April 2007
(the 'Questions Book')


Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by his Department.

Lords Hansard text for 2 May 200702 May 2007 (pt 0001)

Department for Constitutional Affairs: Telephone Numbers
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3304]

Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: My department has 12 0500 numbers, seven 0800 numbers; 53 0845 numbers, 43 0870 numbers and one 0900 number, that are in use for the public. In addition there are a further 481 0870 numbers that are used internally on its Goldfax system. The department does not keep a central record of all the services that can be accessed through each of the numbers. That information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The revenue received from the 0900 number, which is used for the bankruptcy and company court search line, between April 2005 (when the line came into operation) and September 2006, was £59,373.43.

The department's central recruitment unit uses 41 0870 numbers for its recruitment campaigns. The revenue received between September 2004-September 2006 was £7,847.74. HM Land Registry operates a number of 0870 numbers for land registry services and the revenue from these was £426,990.15 for the period September 2004 to September 2006.

Lords Hansard text for 30 Apr 200730 Apr 2007 (pt 0004)

Telephone Numbers: MoD
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by the Ministry of Defence and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3302]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The use of 0800, 0845 or 0870 numbers in the department and its agencies is determined at local level in accordance with individual business requirements and ordered directly from the supplier. Records of these numbers are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Telephone Numbers: Treasury
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by HM Treasury and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3266]

Lord Davies of Oldham: The information requested is not readily available, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 8 May 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case.

House of Commons - Work and Pensions - Memoranda

10. COMMON ISSUES

1. The DWP have a freephone 0800 telephone helpline for their lowest income customers, HMRC charge their most vulnerable customers using 0845 numbers. Customers are required to contact both Departments frequently to notify changes in circumstances. When dealing with their tax credits customers at or around means-tested benefits levels, we recommend that HMRC should offer 0800 numbers.

Lords Hansard text for 26 Apr 200726 Apr 2007 (pt 0002)

Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by the Department for International Development and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3267]

The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): DfID has one non-geographic telephone number—0845 300 4100—for its public inquiry point. The department received no revenue from this line between September 2004 and September 2006.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 8 May 2007
(the 'Questions Book')


Mr Denis MacShane (Rotherham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what complaints she has received about Patientline; and if she will make a statement.

Lords Hansard text for 9 May 200709 May 2007 (pt 0005)

Telephone Numbers: Defra
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3299]

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): My department and our agencies have a number of non-geographical telephone numbers in use, provided by a variety of service providers, dependent on location. The current count equates to 28 made up of 0870, 0845 and 08459 prefixes, all of which provide helpline services to our customers. The department does not collect any revenue for their use.

Telephone Numbers: DWP
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by the Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3264]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): Under arrangements with our telephony supplier, the DWP has 2299 non-geographic telephone numbers in use for a variety of purposes.

The department delegates the administration and management of non-geographic telephone numbers to local management at operational level. The information on services linked to individual telephone numbers broken down by departmental units and its agencies is not available.

Obtaining the revenue information for the total period requested would incur disproportionate costs. However, figures for January to September 2006 are available: the revenue received amounted to £321,948, which was offset against DWP telephony costs.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 09 May 2007 (pt 0006)

Departments: Telephone Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. [136257]

Derek Twigg: The use of 0800, 0845 or 0870 numbers in the Department and it's Agencies is determined at local level in accordance with individual business requirements and ordered directly from the supplier. Records of these numbers are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Order Book Part 1

Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case.

Uncorrected Evidence 251

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE

TAKEN BEFORE

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE

PUBLIC SERVICES: PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

Thursday 1 March 2007

Q67 David Heyes: It is the repetitive nature of the complaints that is so frustrating to us. There seems to be no learning taking place. We will resolve some ourselves, as MPs, and then ultimately they get referred on to the Ombudsman. The casework MP helpline facility is good but I do not get any sense that there is any kind of feedback for the organisation to learn from what takes place there, the admission of failing. You have talked in general terms about the need to make things better, to get more systematic. You have said you have improved procedures in place. I do not have any sense of what that is. What things have you been doing that are going to have a really dramatic impact on this still appalling figure of 90,000 you just mentioned?

Mr Gray: Could I give you two or three examples, and I can give you some more later if you want, of the sorts of things we have done, largely in response to complaints - and of course complaints are not the only feedback we are getting, but where complaints have played a significant part. We have now introduced a much simplified, two-page version of the tax credit award notice, reflecting a lot of the concerns we have been having. We have introduced a much shorter tax return for self-assessment taxpayers. We had a lot of complaints that everybody was getting the 40-page version, that this was unnecessary for large numbers of people and could we not think of a way of introducing something for people whose circumstances required self-assessment but were relatively straightforward. We introduced a two-page version which is now getting a 95 % positive rating in our research. We have introduced a simplified statement of account for self-assessment once an assessment has been made and, again, that has had a very welcome response. On telephone lines, for example, we do of course have quite a lot of people dealing with us phoning from overseas. Our standard phone lines, 0845 numbers, were not readily accessible to people calling us from overseas, so we have now introduced a dedicated phone line there. These are the sorts of things we have been doing.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 09 May 2007 (pt 0013)

Departments: Telephone Services
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether all customer helplines operated by his Department are freephone numbers. [132996]

Mrs. McGuire: No.

Most DWP helplines use 0845 numbers. The cost of contacting 0845 numbers varies dependant on the time the customer calls, the contract they have with their network provider, and whether calls are made from residential lines or mobile lines. BT advises that the most popular tariff used by residential lines is BT Customer Option 1 or 2. Under these schemes, the cost of peak time calls to 0845 numbers is 2.55 pence per minute.

Customers using mobile telephones are charged at their network provider's tariff for 0845 calls and may incur a charge even when dialling an 0800 number depending on the contract they have with their network provider.

If a customer indicates that they are concerned about the cost of a call, a call back will always be offered.

A breakdown for the Department's helplines and call rates are shown in the following table.

Helpline Call rate
Jobcentre Plus Jobseeker Direct
0845 Local rate

Jobcentre Plus Employer Direct
0845 Local rate

Jobcentre Plus First Contact (making a claim)
0845 Local rate. Currently an 0845 number but this is being replaced by an 0800 number. All First Contact, Contact Centres will have moved to the 0800 number by the end of May 2007.

National Benefit Fraud Hotline
0800 Free to landline callers.

Disability Careers Service Helpline
0845 Local rate.

Benefit Enquiry Line
0800 Free to landline callers.

Child Support Agency National Helpline
0845 Local rate.

The Pension Service
All the following services are provided by different 0845 local rate telephone lines: General enquiries Change of circumstances Claims for State Pension Pension forecasts Winter fuel queries Welsh Language Line

Pension Credit Application Line
0800 Free to landline callers.

International Pension Centre
0191 standard rate number for those who live, or have previously lived overseas.

Debt Management
Debt Management does not operate a "helpline" as such but access to debt centres is via an 0845 local rate number.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 10 May 2007 (pt 0014)


Hospitals: Telephones
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what payments her Department has made to Patientline; [135483]

(2) how many complaints she has received about Patientline. [135484]

Andy Burnham: The Department has not made any payments to Patientline. Contracts are agreed directly between the NHS trust and their chosen service provider. The service provider pays the costs of installation and managing the service and charges the patient directly, if they choose to use its services.

Since August 2005, some 182 members of the public have written to the Department about integrated bedside television and telephone services. The number of complaints this correspondence may contain is not identified separately.

Order Book Part 1

Mr Denis MacShane (Rotherham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent meetings her Department has had with Patientline; what the outcomes were of those meetings; and if she will make a statement.

I see my subscription to this thread is again not operating properly and I have had to look at the updates manually.

Do I detect the hand of Daniel at work here.  I can't think of any other explanation other than an alleged technical glitch with the forum database.

idb wrote on May 19^th, 2007 at 4:40pm:

Under these schemes, the cost of peak time calls to 0845 numbers is 2.55 pence per minute.

That is the Ex VAT price.  The Inc VAT price is 3p per minute.

It is illegal to quote ex VAT prices for pricing designed for retail customers.

idb wrote on May 19^th, 2007 at 4:40pm:

Helpline Call rate Jobcentre Plus Jobseeker Direct 0845 Local rate Jobcentre Plus Employer Direct 0845 Local rate

Still the lies contine even in answers to Parliamentary Questions.

Truly disgusting. :o >:( :'(

NGMsGhost wrote on May 21^st, 2007 at 5:22pm:

I see my subscription to this thread is again not operating properly and I have had to look at the updates manually. Do I detect the hand of Daniel at work here.  I can't think of any other explanation other than an alleged technical glitch with the forum database.

I think there must have been a technical glitch with the forum database.

bill wrote on May 22^nd, 2007 at 9:11am:

I think there must have been a technical glitch with the forum database.

What makes you say that Bill?

NGMsGhost wrote on May 21^st, 2007 at 5:22pm:

Do I detect the hand of Daniel at work here.

What made you say that Jules?

Heinz wrote on May 22^nd, 2007 at 1:07pm:

What made you say that Jules?

The only man with the power and the possible motive to do this.

By the way I would be most grateful if you could stick to referring to me by my forum name, especially when you haven't yet even yet revealed your own real world identity in the forum :-X.

And by the way I never use Jules. >:( [smiley=thumbdown.gif]

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 4 June 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

448
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the agencies of his Department which advertise 0870 numbers as their contact numbers; and if he will make a statement.
(139845)  

449
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what total revenue was raised by the use by agencies responsible to his Department of 0870 numbers in each year since 1997.

House of Commons

Hansard Written Answers for 24 May 2007 (pt 0021)

Departments: Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. [138489]

Gillian Merron: The requested details on 0870 and 0845 telephone helplines in the Department for Transport are as follows:

Number of 0845 and 0870 helplines
Services accessed from each
Whether alternative geographic numbers available

Department for Transport (Central)
0
—
—

DVLA
(1)17
Information services, automated self services, technical helpdesks, reporting unlicensed vehicles
No, apart from one general switchboard for public use

DSA
(1)4
All related to practical and theory driving test bookings
No

HA
(2)4
HA information line and central switchboard traffic England phone service and publications
Only the 0845 lines have corresponding 0121 numbers

MCA
(1)1
MCA Infoline
No

VGA
0
—
—

VOSA
(3)3
Public hotline, operator license credit card payment and national number
All also have geographical numbers available as contact numbers

GCDA
0
—
—

(1) All 0870.
(2) Two are 0845 and two are 0870.
(3) One is 0845 and two are 0870.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 May 2007 (pt 0013)

Departments: Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. [138486]

John Healey: The Treasury has no 0845 or 0870 telephone lines.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 06 Jun 2007 (pt 0013)

Departments: Telephones Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. [138483]

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA sponsors only one telephone helpline number that has an 0870 prefix. This number is for the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) helpline, which provides advice on travelling with your pet into (or back into) the UK. There is not a published alternative geographic number for this service.

DEFRA sponsors 14 telephone helpline numbers with an 0845 prefix. Only one of these, the DEFRA Helpline, has a published alternative geographic number.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 06 Jun 2007 (pt 0016)

Departments: Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many telephone helplines are sponsored by her Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. [138484]


6 Jun 2007 : Column 567W

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department's main public facing telephone inquiry service, the Customer Service Centre, has a geographic number (020 7210 4850). The Department also uses a Government wide switchboard service (020 27210 3000). There are individual switchboard services for the Department's main buildings and these have geographic telephone numbers.

The Department's Executive Agencies, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Service (MHRA) and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) also have geographic numbers.

The Department has a Healthy Start (formerly known as the Welfare Foods Helpline), a service operated under contract to provide assistance to nurseries and individuals with inquiries about welfare foods e.g. milk tokens. The numbers for members of the public are 0845 6076833/6076823. The number for commercial providers are 08707 203063/201688. These will be reviewed as part of the contract review in 2008.

NHS Direct uses a 0845 number 0845 4647. There is no geographic alternative.

The Department grant funds a wide range of voluntary and charitable organisations to provide services relating to health and healthy living. Some of these organisations include telephone helplines as part of their services. It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to identify individual projects with telephones services and whether geographic telephone numbers are used.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 07 Jun 2007 (pt 0016)

Departments: Telephone Services
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what total revenue was raised by the use by agencies responsible to his Department of 0870 numbers in each year since 1997. [139846]

Gillian Merron: The total revenue raised by Department for Transport agencies since the Department was formed in 2002 is as follows:

Total revenue (£)
DVLA
 
2002-03
656,164

2003-04
874,965

2004-05
1,945,131

2005-06
2,423,517

2006-07
2,894,284

DSA
 
2002-03
(1)n/a

2003-04
(1)702,326

2004-05
(1)706,399

2005-06
(1)693,254

2006-07
(1)623,284

HA
(2)0

MCA
(2)0

VGA
(3)0

VOSA
 
2002-03
(1,4)n/a

2003-04
(4)10,386

2004-05
(4)63,407

2005-06
(4)72,397

GCDA
(3)0

n/a = not available
(1 )Figures only available since 2003-04
(2 )0870 service is non-revenue generating
(3 )Has no 0870 numbers
(4 )Figures only available from 2003-04. 2005-06 figure is subject to completion of audited accounts

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Jun 2007 (pt 0029)

Departments: Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. [138487]

Mr. Dhanda: The information as requested is not readily available centrally within the Department for Education and Skills (DFES). To respond fully would involve an extensive information collection exercise which would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold. However, to be helpful, using a variety of information and data sources relating solely to DFES headquarters, the following information can be provided.

DFES currently sponsor seven telephone numbers with the prefix (a) 0870, and ten telephone numbers with the prefix (b) 0845. Alternative geographic telephone numbers are available in each case.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Jun 2007 (pt 0011)

Departments: Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. [138485]

Mr. Byrne: The number of telephone lines with the prefix 0870 and 0845 used by the Home Office, was printed in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 8 June 2007, Official Report, column 672W. Of the 63 listed, 27 (42.9 per cent.) have geographic alternatives.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 July 2007 (pt 0007)

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the change to the use of the 0845 number for Jobcentre Plus on (a) Jobcentre Plus local offices and (b) their customers. [146686]

Mrs. McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 11 July 2007:

The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question asking what assessment he has made of the likely effect that the change to the use of the 0845 number for Jobcentre Plus will have on Jobcentre Plus local offices and their customers.

Centralisation of benefit processing represents part of the modernisation of Jobcentre Plus services. It allows us to build centres of expertise which will enable us to improve standards of customer service, develop greater expertise in meeting customers' needs and move work around the country to meet changes in local demand so reducing delays.

This way of working reduces benefit enquiry footfall in our local Jobcentre Plus offices, which means they can then concentrate their efforts in helping customers back to work.

11 July 2007 : Column 1502W—continued

Many of our customers find it easier to access our services now there is a choice of using the telephone, the internet or face to face. Centralising our benefit claims systems means customers have the option to make benefit enquiries from the privacy of their own homes and their calls will be answered by a pool of benefits experts. Creating a Contact Centre network means that we are better able to cope with peaks in demand.

We recognise that the telephone is not suitable for all customers and for this reason we continue to offer alternative means to contact us and to make benefit claims.

I hope this is helpful.

idb wrote on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 1:08am:

NHS Direct uses a 0845 number 0845 4647. There is no geographic alternative.

Not true!

There are geographical numbers, but NHS Direct will not publish them, from the Decision Notice from the ICO following my FOI request page 12, bullet 54 :-  

NHS Direct argue that releasing the geographic numbers would result in  
congestion of the system.

This link takes you to the Decision Notice

http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/decisionnotices/2007/fs_500108885.pdf

derrick wrote on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 10:13am:

Not true! There are geographical numbers, but NHS Direct will not publish them, from the Decision Notice from the ICO following my FOI request page 12, bullet 54 :-

More like congestion of their contractual terms with their suppliers if their supplier is deprived of their revenue share.

idb wrote on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 1:14am:

Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 11 July 2007: The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question asking what assessment he has made of the likely effect that the change to the use of the 0845 number for Jobcentre Plus will have on Jobcentre Plus local offices and their customers. […] We recognise that the telephone is not suitable for all customers and for this reason we continue to offer alternative means to contact us and to make benefit claims.

Sounds like a typical DVLA-style reply.

Talking of which:


idb wrote on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 1:11am:

Gillian Merron: The total revenue raised by Department for Transport agencies since the Department was formed in 2002 is as follows: Total revenue (£) DVLA   2002-03 656,164 2003-04 874,965 2004-05 1,945,131 2005-06 2,423,517 2006-07 2,894,284 DSA   2002-03 (1)n/a 2003-04 (1)702,326 2004-05 (1)706,399 2005-06 (1)693,254 2006-07 (1)623,284 HA (2)0 MCA (2)0 VGA (3)0 VOSA   2002-03 (1,4)n/a 2003-04 (4)10,386 2004-05 (4)63,407 2005-06 (4)72,397 n/a = not available (1 )Figures only available since 2003-04 (2 )0870 service is non-revenue generating (3 )Has no 0870 numbers (4 )Figures only available from 2003-04. 2005-06 figure is subject to completion of audited accounts

Who's with me in betting that the DVLA makes over £3 million this year (or would have if the changes that are proposed weren't/aren't going to happen)? Full marks to the DVLA for taxing those buy their tax disc via the "new" 0870 number rather than supporting their local Post Office.

Also remember that these figures are the amount paid to the call-recipients. The amount that callers have paid above the price of an 01/02 call will be far higher.

Those with (2) by them apparently let their telecoms provider take all the revenue.

Dave wrote on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 11:33am:

Who's with me in betting that the DVLA makes over £3 million this year (or would have if the changes that are proposed weren't/aren't going to happen)?

I'll bet you £1million  ;D

To help me get this £1million to pay Dave, please feel free to ring me on a national rate 0871 number from anywhere the UK.  I, naturally, don't make a profit from this - instead I receive a micro-payment (according to Ofcom) and according to ICSTIS this is only used primarily to pay for network features!  ;D

[smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]  [smiley=lolk.gif]

And perhaps a "feature of your network" is good commission and trebles all round  ;D Wake up ICSTIS and OfinCOMp; perhaps just once think about why you were put in place (calm down NGM'SG).

Order Book Part 1

119
N  Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list by primary care trust the medical GP practices which use 0844 revenue-shaving telephone numbers; and what guidance he has issued on the use of such numbers.  
(155523)

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 26 Jun 2007 (pt 0002)

NHS: Non-geographic Numbers
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to question 138605, whether national health service organisations using 09 or 087 numbers established before April 2005 are still able to use them. [144976]

Andy Burnham: Regulations came into force in April 2005 which prevented national health service dentists, NHS opticians, general practitioner practices and out of hours providers from establishing new premium rate telephone numbers for patients seeking to contact services. Existing numbers were not affected. Ministers decided not to issue directions to enforce a migration of existing numbers to low-cost alternatives such as 0844 or 0845 in the light of Ofcom's decision to review its numbering system. Ofcom has now created a new country-wide number range 03 for public and not for profit bodies, which are charged to the consumer at the local rate, and has now started allocating numbers using the 03 prefix.

The Department expects decisions on telephone numbers in primary care to be based on what is in the
26 Jun 2007 : Column 617W
best interests of patients taking account of the Central Office of Information guidance on cost to the citizen.

NHS trusts and foundation trusts are not affected by the aforementioned regulations.

"low-cost alternatives"
"local rate"

aargh!

irrelevant wrote on Sep 19^th, 2007 at 11:32pm:

"low-cost alternatives" "local rate" aargh!

There really isn't much hope when Her Maj's gov can't even understand the concept of NGNs. It simply demonstrates just how entrenched the whole 'local' and 'national' descriptors are in the mind of the public. One wonders whether these people actually look at their bill and see an hour call to a GN for 5p or whatever it is these days, and an hour call to 08X costing a fiver.

irrelevant wrote on Sep 19^th, 2007 at 11:32pm:

"low-cost alternatives" "local rate" aargh!

They certainly aren't low cost for those who use mobile phones, VOIP or payphones. Can't the government understand this very very simple fact?!

Well for a long time "local" and "national" were the main criteria on deciding the cost of a call.  It's only comparatively recently that charging has dropped the distinction (although the early indirect suppliers only had the one rate, but it was generaly cheaper to use BT for the local calls!)

I would certainly doubt that most MPs have ever seen a phone bill.  They will have staff to do mundane things like that.   It's only us poor plebs that have to manage our own affairs that see what things actually cost!

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmtran/435/435ii.pdf

House of Commons
Transport Committee
Passengers’
Experiences of Air
Travel
Eighth Report of Session 2006–07
Volume II

Q57 Clive EVord: Are there telephone booking
charges and how much do they vary?
Mr Evans: We have not done a survey on telephone
booking charges. The only ones we have come across
are those that have come through complaints. The
diVerences would be flat rate charges or using a
premium rate telephone line. When we discuss with
the carriers about the premium telephone lines, they
assure us they are all complying with ICSTIS
guidelines on using premium rate lines.

Q58 Clive EVord: We all know about ICSTIS
guidelines, do we not? Is there a problem with
airlines not telling customers about the charges they
may incur by booking over the phone?
Mr Evans: ICSTIS guidelines require the user of a
service to tell the person that they are speaking on a
premium rate line. That is generic. That is sometimes
the discussion we need to have, whether we have a
remedy in generic legislation or consumer protection
legislation, or whether we need to be calling for
something specific for air transport.

Q24 Chairman: Who are?
Mr Evans: British Airways and Easyjet. I think BA
has a flat rate charge and Easyjet has a premium rate
which you can call at. We only became aware of it
when a complainant told us it cost her £12.50 to
redeem her £20 voucher.

Q690Clive EVord: Without naming names, what
about the principle of additional charges for people
with disabilities?

Mrs Bates: We are against that. The DDA is very
much against that. It is not just the Ryanair thing
about paying for a wheelchair. There are other
hidden charges like, for instance, if I cannot book on
line for the assistance that I need. I have to ring what
is usually a premium rate number in order to book
the assistance which I am obliged to book and that
can run to an hour’s phone call. In my view and in
DPTAC’s view, that is a tax on my disability.

Submission 2: HM
I amcurrently in dispute with Ryanair who charged me 10 euros for booking my flights with a credit card.
In fact, I used a debit card but when I wrote to them (five lines of text which were absolutely specific about
the diVerence between credit and debit card charges) they responded, by e-mail, with a load of nonsense
about their tickets being non refundable! I then tried to contact them on that e-mail address to point out
the error of their ways but each time my e-mail was bounced back. I have now written to them again but
they won’t have received that letter yet.
I amsuggesting that Ryanair may deliberately charge a credit card fee even though tickets were purchased
with a debit card—and then deliberately send back letters or e-mails to complainants which do not address
that complaint. Considering that the loss to the complainant is 9 euros 53 cents it is likely that they get away
with hundreds or even thousands of instances of overcharging simply because the avenues of complaint are
so narrow and either “premium phone line” expensive or very slow.
Have I missed the boat on the Transport Select Committee or would it be worth sending you copies of
the correspondence? Better still, have you any evidence that my problem is not unique?

Memorandum submitted by Stuart Diack (PEAT 36)

The Daily Mirror (I understand Wednesday 25 April 2007), also reported that you are on a premium a
rate line (I think it’s 50p a minute ), that takes approximately 10 minutes to get through to someone at their
call centre. This is actually correct because I have had reason to phone them in the past and that’s roughly
how long it took me to get through to them.

irrelevant wrote on Sep 19^th, 2007 at 11:50pm:

Well for a long time "local" and "national" were the main criteria on deciding the cost of a call.  It's only comparatively recently that charging has dropped the distinction (although the early indirect suppliers only had the one rate, but it was generaly cheaper to use BT for the local calls!)

I used an early indirect access code (1615) service in the late 90s called AXS Telecom.  It was cheaper to use them for both local and national rate calls in the weekday daytime as all calls cost 2p per minute (no connection fee) at all times and Local Calls cost 4p per minute and National Calls 7.91p per minute with BT in the weekday daytime.  The only BT Together at that stage was one you had to pay an extra fee for and the resulting call prices were still higher than those of AXS Telecom.  AXS then became Liberty Surf and then finally Tiscali.


Quote:

I would certainly doubt that most MPs have ever seen a phone bill.  They will have staff to do mundane things like that.   It's only us poor plebs that have to manage our own affairs that see what things actually cost!

My my dad was an MP for 25 years and I can assure you he always looked at and paid his own BT home phone bill for our real family home.  The phones at the House of Commons are provided by Parliament on a large company office basis but any overseas calls always had to have a chit filled out to justify their purpose or otherwise the MP would receive a bill for those.

Backbench MPs (as he was) are not really such powerful people compared to large company directors who can command the fate of hundreds or thousands of staff (an MP only usually has 3 or 4 staff working for them at post and some of those usually part time).  The powerfulness of MPs comes only really from who else they interact with and the fact that a letter from an MP will get an extremely thorough reply and usually corrective action taken to fix their constituents problem by almost any organisation (no matter how usually inefficient or customer non reactive).

irrelevant wrote on Sep 19^th, 2007 at 11:50pm:

Well for a long time "local" and "national" were the main criteria on deciding the cost of a call[highlight].  It's only comparatively recently that charging has dropped the distinction[/highlight] (although the early indirect suppliers only had the one rate, but it was generaly cheaper to use BT for the local calls!) I would certainly doubt that most MPs have ever seen a phone bill.  They will have staff to do mundane things like that.   It's only us poor plebs that have to manage our own affairs that see what things actually cost!

Recently?? BT stopped the differential in July 2004, over 3 years ago, and most if not all telcos followed suit

NGMsGhost wrote on Sep 20^th, 2007 at 7:54am:

irrelevant wrote on Sep 19th, 2007 at 11:50pm: Well for a long time "local" and "national" were the main criteria on deciding the cost of a call.  It's only comparatively recently that charging has dropped the distinction (although the early indirect suppliers only had the one rate, but it was generaly cheaper to use BT for the local calls!) I used an early indirect access code (1615) service in the late 90s called AXS Telecom.  It was cheaper to use them for both local and national rate calls in the weekday daytime as all calls cost 2p per minute (no connection fee) at all times and Local Calls cost 4p per minute and National Calls 7.91p per minute with BT in the weekday daytime.  The only BT Together at that stage was one you had to pay an extra fee for and the resulting call prices were still higher than those of AXS Telecom.  AXS then became Liberty Surf and then finally Tiscali.

Yes, I used AXS myself.  I was actually thinking of early indirect suppliers, such as Mercury's 2300 service, which I used in the late 80's.  (being one of the first 500 customers, if they allocated acount numbers sequentially.)  Compared to that timeframe, 3 years IS recent!  :)  I haven't got the prices to hand, but it was, at the time, certainly the case that local calls were cheaper to use BT for - the custom dialers had special procedures to enter your local area prefix(es) so as to avoid using Mercury.


Quote:

[quote]I would certainly doubt that most MPs have ever seen a phone bill.  They will have staff to do mundane things like that.   It's only us poor plebs that have to manage our own affairs that see what things actually cost!

My my dad was an MP for 25 years and I can assure you he always looked at and paid his own BT home phone bill for our real family home.  The phones at the House of Commons are provided by Parliament on a large company office basis but any overseas calls always had to have a chit filled out to justify their purpose or otherwise the MP would receive a bill for those.

Backbench MPs (as he was) are not really such powerful people compared to large company directors who can command the fate of hundreds or thousands of staff (an MP only usually has 3 or 4 staff working for them at post and some of those usually part time).  The powerfulness of MPs comes only really from who else they interact with and the fact that a letter from an MP will get an extremely thorough reply and usually corrective action taken to fix their constituents problem by almost any organisation (no matter how usually inefficient or customer non reactive).[/quote]

My apologies to your father, and no disrespect was meant to anybody by my rather sweeping generalisation.  I had in mind the sort of headline grabbing politician who seems to prefer looking at cameras than actually doing some real work.  It is just unfortunate that often it seems as though those making policy in this country have no knowledge on how things realy work.

(our local MP for instance has now risen to the exhaulted rank of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and is therefore even more useless than before..)

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 01 Oct 2007 (pt 0001)

Health
General Practitioners: Telephone Services
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by primary care trust the medical GP practices which use 0844 revenue-shaving telephone numbers; and what guidance he has issued on the use of such numbers. [155523]


1 Oct 2007 : Column 2342W

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on telephone numbers in use by general practitioners practices.

Lord Warner wrote to primary care trust chief executives on 19 December 2006 about the use of non-geographical (084) telephone numbers by NHS services. The letter has been placed in the Library and is also available at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_064287

~ Edited by Dave: Hyperlink corrected

Lords Hansard text for 1 Oct 200701 Oct 2007 (pt 0006)

Telephone Numbers: Home Office
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 25 June (WA 120), what revenue has been received by them between September 2004 and September 2006 from national non-geographic telephone numbers in use by (a) the Criminal Records Bureau; (b) the Passport Service; (c) the Immigration and Enquiry Bureau; and (d) Siemens Business Service query letters. [HL4997]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The latest information available shows that £385,261.58 was generated from the 0870 numbers used for the Passport Adviceline for the last financial year of 2006-07. This figure covers both the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and calls in response to Siemens Business Service query letters. This sum is deducted from the monthly invoice total from the Adviceline supplier and hence reduces the burden on the passport fee.

The Immigration and Enquiry Bureau (IEB) generated £73,999.35 up until 31 March 2005. IEB ceased taking any revenue from the three non-geographic numbers from 1 April 2005. The Criminal Records Bureau receives no income from non-geographic numbers. All three business areas are looking into using 03 numbers, in line with COI recommendations.

idb wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2007 at 3:00am:

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 01 Oct 2007 (pt 0001) Health General Practitioners: Telephone Services Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by primary care trust the medical GP practices which use 0844 revenue-shaving telephone numbers; and what guidance he has issued on the use of such numbers. [155523] 1 Oct 2007 : Column 2342W Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on telephone numbers in use by general practitioners practices.

This answer does NOT seem to be true.
The NHS Choices website contains details of all GPs with their address and phone number listed.

http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx

We should write to Peter Bottomley MP and let him know of this information.

idb wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2007 at 3:00am:

Lord Warner wrote to primary care trust chief executives on 19 December 2006 about the use of non-geographical (084) telephone numbers by NHS services. The letter has been placed in the Library and is also available at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersand circulars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_064287

This link does not work.   It produces this result  :----

"Error page
We are sorry but the page you are looking for cannot be found. It may have been removed, had its name changed or be temporarily unavailable.
Please click on the link below.
www.dh.gov.ukIf you think you got to this page in error, please contact us at the address below..
MB-Web-Feedback@doh.gsi.gov.uk"
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersand

Are the DoH actually trying to hide this letter?    Do not fear, we have the letter and this is it : ----

MS(R)102125
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NL
Switchboard: 020 7210 3000

To: PCT Chief Executives
Gateway: 7632
19 December 2006

Dear Colleagues,
Use of Non-Geographical (‘084’) Telephone Numbers to contact NHS
Services.
On the 11 April 2005, the Department of Health wrote to PCT Chief
Executive’s advising them that the Department was reviewing the use of nongeographical
(‘084’) telephone numbers for patients to contact NHS services,
in the light of a consultation being carried out by Ofcom. The purpose of the
letter was to ensure that practices that were considering changing to nongeographical
telephone numbers were aware of the review before making a
decision
I am now writing to advise you that Ofcom, as a result of its latest
consultation, has decided to create a new country-wide number range - '03' -
which would be charged to the consumer at the same rate as calling a
geographical number and could be included in any inclusive or low-cost call
packages offered by landline or mobile phone companies. The '03' number
range is due to be introduced in early 2007. There has been no explicit
requirement made by Ofcom for practices to adopt a '03' telephone number
but this clearly has attractions.
I would also like to draw your attention to the Central Office of Information
(COI) guidance on telephone numbering and ask you to ensure that NHS
dentists, NHS opticians and GP practices, including out-of-hours providers in
your area, consider carefully the best option for their patients who should not
have to pay over the odds to contact their local services.
It is for individual practices to decide what is in their customer’s best interests,
taking account of the COI guidance on Cost to the Citizen. Normally this will
mean the lowest cost per call to the patient (local geographic number or
adopting a ‘03’ number).
I would also like you to consider what actions you need to take locally to
ensure that patients telephoning practices do not pay more than they would if
they called a local geographical telephone number. Any financial implications
from actions undertaken locally will have to be met within existing resources.
I would be grateful if you would ensure that all NHS dentists, NHS opticians
and GP practices, including out-of-hours providers in your area receive this
information.
We will be considering further any other action needed to optimise patient
access to services.
Yours sincerely
NORMAN WARNER"

This letter containsthe phrase "ensure that patients telephoning practices do not pay more than they would if they called a local geographical telephone number".  

In my opinion this is a clear DIRECTIVE, rather than mere guidance, to PCTs to not allow 0844/5 numbers to be used.

I would like to see Peter Bottomley take the DoH Ministers to task on this point.    No PCT should have allowed any GP to use such a number after December 2006.

loddon wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2007 at 7:59am:

I would like to see Peter Bottomley take the DoH Ministers to task on this point.    No PCT should have allowed any GP to use such a number after December 2006.

I sent this letter to Peter Bottomley MP today : ---

Dear Mr Bottomley,

I have read that you raised the following question in The House :--- Health General Practitioners: Telephone Services Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by primary care trust the medical GP practices which use 0844 revenue-shaving telephone numbers; and what guidance he has issued on the use of such numbers. [155523]

The reply was :--- 1 Oct 2007 : Column 2342W  Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on telephone numbers in use by general practitioners practices.  Lord Warner wrote to primary care trust chief executives on 19 December 2006 about the use of non-geographical (084) telephone numbers by NHS services. The letter has been placed in the Library and is also available at:  http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_064287

This answer does NOT seem to be true. The "NHS Choices" website contains details of all GPs with their address and phone number listed.  
http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx  
It would seem a simple task to extract a list of those doctors using 0844 numbers.

The reply from Ben Bradshaw refers to a letter from Lord Warner (NHS Minister) to PCT Chairmen dated 19th December 2006. This letter contains the phrase --- "ensure that patients telephoning practices do not pay more than they would if they called a local geographical telephone number".

My dictionary defines ENSURE as meaning "to make certain", "to guarantee". This is surely a directive rather than mere guidance. The letter tasks PCT Chairmen with making sure that patients do not pay more than a geographic call rate when phoning their doctor. Allowing surgeries to impose an 0844 or 0845 number on their patients appears to be a total dereliction of duty by those PCT Chairmen. The letter from Lord Warner is absolutely clear that any higher cost number is not to be used. It advises that the new 03 numbers may be considered. It certainly does not mean that 0844 or 0845 numbers are allowed. Indeed it is probably the use of 0844/5 and complaints by the public that caused this letter to be issued in the first place.

PCT Chairmen have now had 9 months to implement the directive given by Lord Warner. The current position should now be thoroughly investigated. How many more surgeries have set up 0844 numbers since December 2006?
Should Mr Bradshaw now be pressed to follow up by insisting that PCTs explain what they are doing to meet Lord Warner's instructions and what they are doing to correct those situations where 0844 was in use prior to December 2006?Should a deadline be set for the removal of 0844/5 numbers from surgeries?

Surely Mr Bradshaw should issue another letter to PCTs making it clear that 0844/5 numbers are NOT to be used, that no more surgeries must be allowed to go to 0844/5 and that before the deadline all existing use of 0844/5 numbers be replaced by 01,02 or 03.

This whole issue is of major concern to the public as evidenced by the petition against doctors using 0844 on the Prime Ministers website. This petition has gained over 10,000 votes in just a few weeks despite receiving virtually no publicity. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/NGN-use-by-GPs/  

If I can be of any further assistance please let me know.

Yours sincerely,

~ Edited by Dave: Quote box tidied up

Interesting exchanges here regarding DWP

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2007-10-08a.9.4

No reference to 03!

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Oct 9^th, 2007 at 10:16am:

Interesting exchanges here regarding DWP http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2007-10-08a.9.4 No reference to 03!

The above, from the UK parliament web site

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 08 Oct 2007 (pt 0002)

Jobcentre Plus (Telecoms Charges)
5. David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire) (Lab/Co-op): What recent discussion he has had with Ofcom on the charging policies of telecommunication companies toward the 0845 numbers used by Jobcentre Plus; and if he will make a statement. [156107]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mrs. Anne McGuire): Jobcentre Plus conducted a review, which was completed in July, which investigated the inbound telephone numbering plan that supports the contact centre and benefit delivery centre operations. During the review, Ofcom's call numbering team was approached on an informal basis for advice on developing the Jobcentre Plus internal numbering strategy, particularly regarding the future tariff structures of the 0845 range.


8 Oct 2007 : Column 10

David Taylor: Some telecoms providers charge higher than normal rates for all 08 numbers, even so-called freephone numbers, which means that some unemployed Jobcentre Plus clients are paying charges that they cannot afford for the advice, information and assistance that they need. Will the Minister tell the House why those people cannot ring a local centre, at lower, local rates? Will she expand the review to which she has referred to include this issue, and reassure us that the Department is not receiving a rake-off from the excess charges generated at the moment?

Mrs. McGuire: I am aware that some mobile phone companies charge significantly over the basic rate. We have had discussions with them, but their pricing policies are very much a matter for them. I want to give my hon. Friend some comfort, however. Since 1 August, the cost of an 0845 number on BT lines has fallen from 3p to 2p a minute. When someone calls our helpline, we are careful to make them aware how long the call will take, and to ensure that they are aware of the mobile phone charges that can accrue to the call. We then advise them that they can phone back on a land-line if they want to do so. If they cannot do that, our advisers will call them back. That ensures that nobody is disadvantaged because they cannot afford the price of a telephone call.

Andrew Selous (South-West Bedfordshire) (Con): Is the Minister aware that many people trying to claim benefits over the phone either cannot get through or are told that they will be called back even though they do not have a phone? The social fund commissioner's office found that fewer than one in five calls were answered, so will the Minister end the Government's complacency about the effect of the faceless state on people in real difficulties and ensure that those in particular need can either see a Jobcentre Plus official or have an official make the call on their behalf?

Mrs. McGuire: I appreciate the enthusiasm that the hon. Gentleman brings to his post, but we do of course offer face-to-face interviews with Jobcentre Plus advisers in appropriate circumstances. The hon. Gentleman shakes his head, but I can assure him that that is the case. It is very clear in some application processes that a third person can speak on behalf of the applicant. More than 90 per cent. of calls are answered, but we are aware that we have to continue to review matters in order to ensure that the system is made even better. I take great exception to the hon. Gentleman's comment that this amounts to a “faceless state”. We have a whole range of committed and dedicated benefit advisers across the country whose main job and principal occupation and commitment is to ensure that people get the help that they need at the time that they need it.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab): The benefit advisers do a very good job, but is it not fairly tacky to use such a system for people to apply for the assistance and help to which they are entitled? Would it not be better simply to ask that no Government Department anywhere in Whitehall continue the growing practice of using 0845 numbers? If people have already paid through their taxes to receive services from Her Majesty's Government which are of a high standard, no impediment should be placed in their way.


8 Oct 2007 : Column 11

Mrs. McGuire: With the utmost respect, may I say to my hon. Friend that we have discovered that contact centres are generally more convenient for customers to access, because they remove the need personally to go to a local jobcentre. On cost comparisons, I have already said that the cost of a land-line telephone call is 2p a minute. Again, with the greatest respect, I have to say that, in comparison with the cost of a bus or train journey to a local office, contact centres are appropriate for most people. Harking back to my response to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous), we will ensure that where people want an interview and in some instances a face-to-face application process we will deliver that.

House of Commons
Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 8th October 2007
(the ‘Questions Book’)

Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

5 David Taylor (North West Leicestershire): What recent discussion he has had
with Ofcom on the charging policies of telecommunication companies toward the
0845 numbers used by Jobcentre Plus; and if he will make a statement.
(156107)

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 8 October 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 8 October 2007

Order Book Part 1

1374
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the NHS's contract with Patientline.

House of Commons - Work and Pensions - Third Special Report

10 October 2007

Conclusion and Recommendation 11: As part of this inquiry we met a series of claimants and even Jobcentre Plus staff who found it impossible to get through to the new Jobcentre Plus Benefit Delivery Centres. Unlike calls to Contact Centres these calls are charged at 0845 rates and are not free. Coupled with delays in the system, this has resulted in hardship and distress for many vulnerable people. DWP should take action to resolve these problems immediately. (Paragraph 118)

15. Jobcentre Plus is aware that in some locations customers have been experiencing difficulties in getting through to its Benefit Delivery Centres on the telephone. To address this more people have been assigned to answer the telephones as trained resources become available. As a result the time taken to process claims has fallen consistently over the last 12 months and continues to fall. Like many other service organisations Jobcentre Plus uses 0845, local rate tariffs, for telephone enquiries, following 0800 calls to claim benefits, which are free from most landlines. In addition Jobcentre Plus is paying particular attention to the needs of vulnerable customers who may be less able to use the telephone service. Jobcentres continue to take applications and handle face to face enquiries. Local advice organisations are being given local direct line numbers to the centres so they can bypass the switchboard in cases of urgent need.

idb wrote on Oct 9^th, 2007 at 11:50pm:

Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the NHS's contract with Patientline.

He may have a long wait. None of the four NHS's has a contract with any of the in-patient phone an TV systems companies.

pw4 wrote on Oct 24^th, 2007 at 3:55pm:

idb wrote on Oct 9th, 2007 at 11:50pm: Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the NHS's contract with Patientline. He may have a long wait. None of the four NHS's has a contract with any of the in-patient phone an TV systems companies.

Indeed, I see that Ben Bradshaw, the Minister, made the point in replying to the question.


Quote:

There is no single national health service contract with Patientline. Patientline's contracts are tailored to each NHS trust according to its specific needs - http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-10-08b.155868.h

It must be noted that whilst each contract between a GP and a PCT is similarly "tailored", there are nationally negotiated templates. Most GPs operate under that for "General Medical Services" (GMS). One may guess that Mr O'Brien assumed that a similar situation existed with PatientLine.

David

idb wrote on Oct 24^th, 2007 at 1:19am:

... Jobcentre Plus uses 0845, local rate tariffs...

It is particularly disappointing to see Parliamentary discussion containing these meaningless terms. Why do MPs not take Ofcom's advice on board?

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Oct 24^th, 2007 at 9:02pm:

It must be noted that whilst each contract between a GP and a PCT is similarly "tailored", there are nationally negotiated templates. Most GPs operate under that for "General Medical Services" (GMS). One may guess that Mr O'Brien assumed that a similar situation existed with PatientLine.

It did in many cases. Contracts with English hospital trusts that were entered into as part of the Patient Power Project had to be based on the model concession agreement, so they all are very similar.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 29 Oct 2007 (pt 0038)

Pension Service: Telephone Services

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to charge customers for telephoning the Pensions Service. [157179]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Currently, the Pension Service can be contacted on a range of numbers with the following call charging arrangements 0845, 0800, 0191 or 0113:

0845 numbers are charged at local call rates and the current guidance by the Committee of Advertising Practice Code applies to the cost of these calls. Current guidance is that calls provided by BT will be charged at up to four pence per minute at all times. A call set up fee of three pence per call applies to calls from residential lines. Mobile and other providers' charges may vary.

0800 99 1234 Pension Credit Application Line is a free phone number and there is no charge for calls to this number from a BT Landline. Mobile and other providers' charges may vary.

0191 218 7777 (International Pension Centre—for Overseas Customers). Calls to this number are charged at the standard rate for the territory from which the customer is calling.

0113 numbers in existence relate to:

MP Helpline

Comments on Customer Charter

Calls made to each of these numbers from within the 0113 area are charged at Local Call Rates; calls made to each of these numbers from outside the area are charged at National Call Rates.

The Pension Service always offers to call customers back if the customer expresses any concerns about the costs being incurred.

All Public Service providers are currently assessing the impact of migrating call numbers to the new ‘03' range. The Pension Service will also review the existing range of telephone numbers and consider simplifying access to our services for our customers. As part of that
review, cost implications and the merits of free-phone numbers over local call rates will be considered.

House of Commons - Work and Pensions - Written Evidence

Memorandum submitted by Citizens Advice Scotland



POVERTY IN SCOTLAND

12. The government has stated in its five year strategy for the DWP that it is cutting 30,000 jobs, and some JobCentre Plus offices in Scotland have already closed. This reorganisation is having a major impact on both clients and CAB offices. The switch to telephone based applications is causing hardship for some clients as well as unnecessary delay and frustration for clients and CAB advisers alike. It is therefore particularly disappointing that the DWP has received £268,000 through its use of 0845 telephone numbers for benefits claimants.[31]

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 Oct 2007 (pt 0012)

Unsolicited Goods and Services: Telephones
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on telephone call charges incurred by UK households who receive unsolicited sales calls from overseas; and what estimate has been made of the cost to UK households as a result of such charges. [160439]

Mr. Timms: The Premium Rate Services regulator, PhonePay Plus (formerly known as The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services, ICSTIS), estimates that the UK Premium Rate Services (PRS) market, is worth over £1 billion a year and comprises of around 40,000 different services. Most services do not cause any problems but the Government take consumer protection very seriously indeed and we are taking steps to prevent abuse of the system. We work with both PhonePay Plus and Ofcom, the independent communications regulator, to ensure a co-ordinated, effective response to problems as they arise.

Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, no one is allowed to make an unsolicited telephone sales call to a subscriber who has either previously notified the caller that they do not wish to receive such calls or who has been registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) scheme for at least 28 days. Companies with a UK presence are legally required not to call a telephone number which has been registered with the TPS scheme, irrespective of whether the call is made from within the UK or from outside the UK. Such companies lay themselves open to enforcement action if they breach this requirement. The Government have made no estimate of costs to those UK subscribers who return unsolicited sales calls.

The Regulations require prior consent of the customer to those companies that make recorded calls to sell or promote their product or business. Also, the Regulations state that all messages must include the identity of the caller and an address or freephone number at which the caller can be contacted. Where a consumer receives an automated call they have not agreed to, there may have been a breach of the Regulations.

The Information Commissioner's Office has responsibility for the enforcement of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. PhonePay Plus is the regulator to investigate cases, which involve PRS calls.

Mr. Timms continued by washing his hands in public whilst maintaining a sly grin on his face.

Heinz wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 7:48pm:

Mr. Timms continued by washing his hands in public whilst maintaining a sly grin on his face.

Isn't that what all politicians do? ::)

Be fair chaps, I would give that answer seven out of ten for being a concise and accurate summary of some of the regulations covering related matters. The question seemed to be founded on the mistaken assumption that call receipients may be charged when they respond to an invitiation to press a key to speak to someone. Their line may get locked up, but they incur no charge. The correct answer to the second part of the question is "zero".

The answer could have assisted in scotching that common misassumption, or pointing out that any such call (not attended by a live person when it is answered) is classified as a breach of the PECR, regardless of TPS registration.

Apart from some relatively minor issues, the problem here is with (non-)enforcement of the regulations by the ICO, which is not accountable to DBERR or any other part of government.

Happily (!) none of this touches directly on Ofcom and my pet topic, so I can stop here.

David

It may be that the campaign against GPs breaching the principle that the NHS is FREE AT THE POINT OF NEED by using revenue sharing 0844 numbers has a parliamentary champion for the new session.

Graham Stuart MP (Conservative - Beverley & Holderness) has tabled an EDM and four questions for written answer on the subject:


EDM 108 - USE OF 0844 TELEPHONE NUMBERS IN GP SURGERIES

That this House notes that more than 1,200 GP surgeries across the country have installed telephone systems using 0844 numbers; further notes that these systems are more expensive to use than a local call with patients being charged 5 pence per minute from a landline and up to 40 pence per minute from a mobile; further notes that for many people, calling their local GP surgery can be a stressful and worrying time and that high call charges will have a particular impact on the chronically ill, the old, the disabled and those on low incomes; notes that the practice of charging people extra to call their local GP is unsatisfactory; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Health to put an end to it with immediate effect.


THURSDAY 8 NOVEMBER - Questions for Written Answer - Notices given on Tuesday 6 November

537: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to issue guidance to general practitioners on the use of 0844 revenue-sharing telephone numbers; and if he will make a statement. (162416)  

538: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from patient groups on the use of 0844 revenue-sharing telephone numbers; and if he will make a statement. (162853)  

539: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the new GP Surgery Line telephone system. (162854)  

540: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued to primary care trusts on the use of 0844 revenue-sharing telephone numbers; when such guidance was issued; and if he will make a statement. (162855)

email sent to my MP because he hasn't yet signed it.

Order Book Part 2

Part 2: Oral or Written Questions for Answer beginning on Thursday 15 November 2007

43
N  Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department estimates GP surgeries receive in revenue from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers.
(164453)  

44
N  Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs' surgeries in each primary care trust area use 0844 revenue sharing telephone numbers.
(164454)  

45
N  Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, through what mechanism GP surgeries receive payment from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers.

Posted here and in the NEG thread:

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Nov 2007 (pt 0032)

19 Nov 2007 : Column 602W

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much his Department estimates GP surgeries receive in revenue from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers; [164453]

(2) how many GPs' surgeries in each primary care trust area use 0844 revenue sharing telephone numbers; [164454]

(3) through what mechanism GP surgeries receive payment from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers. [164455]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 15 November 2007]: We do not collect information centrally on the use of 084 telephone numbers.

The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Nov 2007 (pt 0039)

NHS: Telephone Services
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from patient groups on the use of 0844 revenue-sharing telephone numbers; and if he will make a statement. [162853]

Mr. Bradshaw: We do not keep records on the number of inquiries about 084 numbers we receive from patient groups. Since January 2007, we have received 100 letters on the subject of 0844 telephone numbers.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Nov 2007 (pt 0036)

General Practitioners: Telephone Services
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he plans to issue guidance to general practitioners on the use of 0844 revenue-sharing telephone numbers; and if he will make a statement; [162416]


20 Nov 2007 : Column 824W

(2) if he will make a statement on the implementation of the new GP Surgery Line telephone system; [162854]

(3) what guidance his Department has issued to primary care trusts on the use of 0844 revenue-sharing telephone numbers; when such guidance was issued; and if he will make a statement. [162855]

Mr. Bradshaw: The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Nov 2007 (pt 0015)

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Telephone Services
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce a geographical telephone number for the Police Service of Northern Ireland's non-emergency calls. [165135]

Paul Goggins: 0845 600 8000 is the primary number for all non-emergency services. This provides a single, contact number regardless of the caller's location. The calls are routed automatically to the most appropriate answer-point within the PSNI. This provides an effective response for non-emergency calls and there are no current plans to introduce additional geographic telephone numbers.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people called the Police Service of Northern Ireland's non-emergency telephone number in each of the past 12 months for which figures are available; and how much revenue was generated by the use of this number over the same period. [165136]

Paul Goggins: The number of calls made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland's non-geographic telephone number for non-emergency calls, “0845 600 8000”, in each of the last 12 months is shown in the following table.

Month Number of calls to 0845 600 8000
2006
 
November
13,128

December
11,913

 
2007
 
January
12,874

February
12,292

March
13,319

April
13,370

May
14,635

June
16,396

July
16,210

August
16,800


21 Nov 2007 : Column 910W
September
16,064

October
16,632

21 Nov 2007 : Column 910W—continued



The PSNI contributes to the cost of calls made to this number and receives no revenue as a consequence of the use of this number.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of people deterred from calling the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s non-emergency telephone number on account of the cost of calls. [165137]

Paul Goggins: It is important to make a distinction between emergency and non-emergency calls in order for incidents to be prioritised properly. There has been good uptake of the 0845 600 8000 non-emergency telephone number line; for example last month 16,632 members of the public used the service.

The levels of usage do not indicate that people are being deterred from making calls.

The statement is clear.
“Mr. Bradshaw: The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.”

As the price of a “local call” (during the working day) is 3.25p/min, any number charging more than 3.25p/min would not be permitted.  The same could be said for calls at the weekends and evenings.
The charge for a 0844 number is 5p/min, this is 54% above the “local rate”, then clearly 0844 is a prohibited number.  This should now be the end of 0844 !

kk wrote on Nov 24^th, 2007 at 12:04am:

the price of a “local call” (during the working day) is 3.25p/min

We need to be a little careful here. The price of a “local call” varies. It may be zero (if already covered by an inclusive package) or much more than 3.25p/min from a mobile.

The actual fact is that every known telephone tariff charges more for a call to a 0844 number than for a “local call”, so the point stands.


Quote:

a matter for the local national health service

When we have stopped laughing at the nonsensical concept of a local national health service we need to take this more seriously.

Decisions about whether GPs can fund their services by collecting money from patients (through the revenue share on 0844 numbers), i.e. whether the NHS is “free at the point of need”, cannot vary from one PCT area to another, in what would be seen as a "postcode lottery".

PCTs are neither equipped, nor sufficiently accountable, to take political decisions of this magnitude.


Decisions about whether it is worthwhile to invest taxpayer’s money in an advanced surgery telephone system, as against other potential uses for the local budget allocation of NHS funds, must be made locally. The option to duck the difficult duty to set priorities for expenditure, by funding it from payments made by patients, should not be (is not) available.

David

I have found from long experience that when you complain about 087x and 084x telephone numbers, you keep your complaint simple. As we all know, the various telephone tariffs are complicated and full of exceptions, caveats and deliberate confusions. I aim to keep complaints simple for two reasons:

(1) More than one fact appears to throw the public into a fit of   “.... this is all too complicated for me ....”  

(2) Organisation who handle complains are well practised in the art of obfuscation. They will avoid answering you main complaint and concentrate on side issues.

The crux of the mischief caused by the use of 0844 by doctors surgeries (and any other users for that matter) is that telephone calls to that number are more expensive that normal 01  02   03 numbers. (I include 03 in hope). My complaint would focus on one fact: During the working day, 0844 numbers cost 53% more to call than normal geographical numbers, that is 5p/min compared to 3.25/min and quote the clear statement form the minister.

“Mr. Bradshaw: The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.”

When the recipient answers that point, come back with all the other points, such as none inclusion in “all inclusive” telephone deals - etc.

kk wrote on Nov 25^th, 2007 at 10:22am:

I have found from long experience that when you complain …, you keep your complaint simple.

We agree. The point I make to Mr Bradshaw and others is not about the cost, but the principle of revenue sharing. That is both simple and indefensible for NHS contractors, who may not receive remuneration from patients (at any level), no matter how it is delivered or distributed.

NHS GPs may not fund their services using money collected from patients.

Further discussion is only necessary to address side issues that may be raised in an attempt to obfuscate the matter. That is what follows.

---

Whilst one may pick out an illustrative example of the cost difference, a single example (BT Together Option 1 in the daytime, ignoring the call connection charge, at the rates currently being applied) does not provide me with sufficient weight for the necessary argument on a point of principle.

“Revenue sharing” in the context of delivery of NHS services is simply unacceptable, without going any further. It is perhaps inevitable (barring a few perverse exceptions) that a call where some of the revenue is shared will cost more than one where it is not. We may refer to the latter as a "local call".

The two approaches will therefore generally hit the same point, however reliance on a single current example is dangerous. I focus particularly on GPs using 0844 revenue sharing numbers to avoid a problem that some could introduce - what about NHS GPs using 0845 revenue sharing numbers (a point that is best not discussed at length)?



As stated in my previous posting, a clear position may be drawn from Mr Bradshaw’s statement. We have however seen many more GPs take up 0844 numbers since the “guidance” was issued. This action by the DH is thereby shown to have been ineffective.

In total, the written answer is far from clear as it allows many opportunities to those who may wish to deny the simple interpretation.

It refers to the “local national health service”, a far from simple concept to deal with in these times when partial devolution is used as means of perpetual buck-passing. It refers only to “guidance”, not direction. It uses a technically meaningless term - “local call”, which is not found on most current telephone tariffs.

Furthermore, the guidance was not issued to the telephone companies who levy the charges, but to PCTs and practices, who can neither control them nor be expected to be fully aware of what they are. Charges vary between the many options offered by the many providers and also change over time (e.g. "local rate" was effectively abolished in 2004). We also know that PCTs and practices are susceptible to misleading advice on such matters from those who may claim expertise in this field.

I have found from long experience that most of one’s efforts in campaigning are used in dealing with such nonesense. That is why I have to address the detail of this guidance, however I do not focus on it.



When calling their NHS GP, unlike most other service providers, callers may not incur any cost that is passed on through revenue sharing (however great or small). My focus for this particular campaign is therefore on “revenue sharing”, because it is contrary to the principle frequently repeated by Ben Bradshaw’s ministerial boss, the Secretary of State Alan Johnson: “the NHS is free at the point of need”. For those who wish to take the trouble to go into even more detail, it is a breach of the terms of clause 483 of the GMS contract.

It is this fundamental principle of the NHS that is at issue here. There are many related issues about the cost of telephone calls that are worthy of attention and need to be addressed in different ways. I hope that this case is seen as being so clear as to demand action. We may hope that such action will be helpful with other cases that are not quite so clear, nor so demanding of attention.

The wording of ministerial questions and the new EDM are starting to move away from the point of illustrative BT call charges to pick up on the underlying issue, so let us hope that we are heading for a proper resolution, insofar as this may be delivered in parliament.

---

A simple and enforceable direction from the Department of Health that all telephone numbers used to access NHS GP services must begin with 01, 02 or 03 would ensure compliance with the GMS contract.

The same rule could be applied, as a matter of new policy rather than compliance with an existing contract, to the rest of the NHS. Other Departments could issue similar directions to cover all public services that do not advertise a fee for services delivered by telephone.

David

Source: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm071127/text/71127w0002.htm#07112753000274

<<
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Telephone Services

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many calls have been received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s 0845 600 8000 line; how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions have resulted from information received on this line; and how much it has cost to operate this service in the last 12-month period for which figures are available. [166726]

Paul Goggins: The number of calls made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s telephone number for non-emergency calls, 0845 600 8000, in each of the last 12 months is set out in the following table.

27 Nov 2007 : Column 290W
     Number of calls to 0845 600 8000

2006
November 13,128
December 11,913

2007
January 12,874
February 12,292
March 13,319
April 13,370
May 14,635
June 16,396
July 16,210
August 16,800
September 16,064
October 16,632

As figures are not held on the outcome of the calls, I am not able to supply information on the number of arrests and convictions that have resulted from the use of the line.

The total cost to the PSNI of operating their non-emergency number, 0845 600 8000, from November 2006 to October 2007 was £2,043.

This line allows people to access the PSNI quickly in non-emergency situations and helps to reduce the demand placed by inappropriate calls to ‘999’.
>>

What about the cost to citizens ringing the number above the price of a "local call"?

Order Book Part 1

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Thursday 29 November 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 29 November 2007

Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons the helpline number 0845 302 1444 for enquiring about child benefit database concerns is a premium rate line; if he will ensure that people are able to call the helpline at local tariff rates; and if he will make a statement.
(169726)

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 26 Nov 2007 (pt 0007)

Rob Marris: I thank my right hon. Friend for giving way with his usual smiling generosity. He referred a few moments ago to what might alliteratively be described as poor professional performance under this regulatory regime. Would that cover the surprising approach being taken by some GP practices, including some in my own constituency, and I believe by NHS Direct, of using 0845 numbers, which are a rip-off for the consumer—in this case, the patient? If this regulatory regime will not cover that practice, will he assure me that he will look into the matter? GPs are getting paid handsomely and properly by the state, yet some of them seem to wish to make extra money out of their patients' phone bills.

Alan Johnson: My hon. Friend has raised an important point, but this is not a matter for the Bill. I am already well aware of the practice that he mentions, however, and we issued guidance earlier this year to say that patients should pay no more than the cost of a local call. Indeed, we believe that to charge in the way that he has described breaches the terms of the GP contract. The matter does not need the weight of this legislation, or the time that it would take to pass the measures, to deal with it.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 04 Dec 2007 (pt 0029)

Child Benefit: Databases

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the helpline number 0845 302 1444 for enquiring about child benefit database concerns is a premium rate line; if he will ensure that people are able to call the helpline at local tariff rates; and if he will make a statement. [169726]

Jane Kennedy: This is not a premium rate line. HMRC policy is to operate customer facing helplines using an 0845 prefix rather than premium rate lines. The cost of calls to 0845 and other non geographic numbers is dependent on several factors. Calls are charged to the customer based on the tariff arrangements they have with their service provider, the device they use for the call and the location from which they call.

Let us hope Mr. Dismore has learned from that 'non reply' never again to use words (like 'premium rate') in a question to this government which can be turned against him in a reply.

The question should have been something like, "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the helpline number for enquiring about child benefit database concerns is still an 0845 number and has not been changed to an 0300 number as recommended by the COI and Ofcom so as to ensure that people are able to call the helpline at local tariff rates; and if he will make a statement."

Heinz wrote on Dec 6^th, 2007 at 11:42am:

Let us hope Mr. Dismore has learned from that 'non reply' never again to use words (like 'premium rate') in a question to this government which can be turned against him in a reply.

Yes indeed. Mr Dismore is one of those being subjected to my parliamentary education programme by regular briefings. This has achieved only modest success, as I have to congratulate and encourage students who share our objectives, as well as criticising them.


There was another example yesterday, where the differential costs of calling 0845 numbers from landlines was regrettably overstated. This occurred during some interesting discussion on the topic of 0845 helplines (primarily DWP) during a debate on Benefit Simplification.

The point was raised by Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, Liberal Democrat) and (over-)endorsed by Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West, Labour). Link to Hansard

Reference is made to weakness and misunderstanding in paragraph 15 of the Government’s response to the Select Committee Report that is being debated. Link to Response

In winding up the debate, there was a response to the comments made, from the Minister - Caroline Flint (Minister of State (Employment and Welfare Reform)). Link to Hansard

Ms Flint, who may understand what she is saying, confirms the following offer:

“We are encouraging our staff to make the point that they can ring people back”.


The department should also be making this clear in all its literature; however this does not address the problem of the cost incurred whilst waiting to speak to an agent. This suggests that DWP should be deploying using the widely used call centre technology that allows callers to request an automatic return call rather than waiting in a queue.

Let us hope that the cost of return calls will help to encourage an early move to 03 numbers.

David

UNCORRECTED TRANSCRIPT OF ORAL EVIDENCE To be published as HC 57-iii

House of COMMONS

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE

TAKEN BEFORE

TREASURY COMMITTEE

(TREASURY SUB-COMMITTEE)

HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS: ADMINISTRATION AND EXPENDITURE IN 2006-07

Wednesday 5 December 2007

MR DAVE HARTNETT, MR MIKE ELAND and MS SARAH WALKER

Evidence heard in Public Questions 342 - 512



Q363 John Thurso: HMRC is using an expensive 0845 number for its helpline. Why is that?

Mr Hartnett: Mr Thurso, we have always done that with our help lines. We aim to make the charge as---

Q364 John Thurso: Do you not think this is a slightly exceptional case, a helpline where you have lost 25 million of this people's data? There is a slight difference.

Mr Hartnett: I have two things to say. First, we wanted to use an existing helpline to make it available as fast as we could, and that we have done. The second is that the amount of traffic on the helpline has been relatively small. We have 150, 160,000 calls a day. Since the Chancellor made his statement, we have had around 35,000. If I am wrong I will give you more. I am being corrected; it is now up to 60,000 calls.

[...]

Q367 Mr Brady: First of all, can I pick up on one of your earlier answers. Sixty thousand calls to the helpline. Do you have a figure for what the cost of those calls has been to the users, either as a total or---

Mr Hartnett: I do not, Mr Brady. We will see whether we can get one for you and I will write to the clerk.

[...]

Q507 Chairman: You said you were going to get 70 per cent of the ordinary applications done within 14 days. I corresponded with Paul Graham and a company in my constituency that took three months to get a registration through, and the helpline he found completely useless, 0845 711 21114, and my office tried that helpline and also found it completely useless. It simply did not answer. Were you aware of that?

Mr Hartnett: I was not, but what I did do before I came here - because I recognise how important effective and speedy VAT registration is for business - was I talked to our directors who are responsible for this area, and they told me they were both determined and confident of getting there for 31 March.

Chairman: Do you understand the frustration of people who find the helplines themselves useless?

[...]

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 11 December 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 11 December 2007

47
N  Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible provide a customer contact service; and which of these are 0800 or 0845 numbers.

idb wrote on Dec 13^th, 2007 at 12:49am:

Questions for Oral or Written Answer beginning on Tuesday 11 December 2007 (the 'Questions Book') Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Tuesday 11 December 2007 47 N  Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible provide a customer contact service; and which of these are 0800 or 0845 numbers.

Oh dear.  They don't have a clue do they?  That sort of imprecise question invites an evasive half answer - and we all know how adept our snouts in the trough politicians are at that, don't we?

She should have been specific about 0844, 0845, 0870, 0871 and 09 numbers and also enquired precisely when any such which are in use will be changed to 03 numbers as recommended .........

Lords Hansard text for 17 Dec 200717 Dec 2007 (pt 0006)

Two minor but irritating issues have arisen in recent days. Can the Minister explain why the helpline for families who are worrying about HMRC data losses is on an 0845 number? The misuse of 0845 numbers as a revenue source for government departments has been a growing scandal to which there has been no satisfactory response. It is highly unsatisfactory that an 0845 number is being used in this case.

[...]

The noble Lord also mentioned the problems surrounding communications with the general public through 0845 numbers. In the light of these difficulties, when the department does correspond with anyone directly affected by them, it is absolutely incumbent on officials that they guarantee that the reader and recipient of the letter is the person to whom it is addressed. Given that, of course such a letter will have a little more than just an initial and the surname of the person to whom it is addressed. It is bound to carry some additional information in order to make sure that the communication is delivered correctly. I hear what the noble Lord says, but noble Lords will recognise that this is a misadventure which has caused the Government a great deal of concern and grief. This is not anything more than the product of the need to provide interaction between departments at a much higher level than in the past. Further, the amount of information which a government now inevitably compile is much greater than in the past as a result of the expectations of our citizenry. It will therefore be appreciated that it is important to look at the Poynter report and the further investigation into the wider issues of government in order to identify clearly the constructive road ahead.

[...]

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Dec 2007 (pt 0008)

Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth and Camborne) (LD): After the data loss, the Government set up a helpline so that those affected could discuss their concerns. Will Mr. Poynter's review be looking into the operation of that helpline to determine how many calls were made and also why the decision was made to use an 0845 number, particularly when it costs some mobile phone users 40p a minute to access it? Should those affected be paying through the nose to sort out the Government's problem?

Mr. Darling: No, Mr. Poynter will not be looking into that. If the hon. Lady would care to table a parliamentary question on the number of people who contacted the hotline, I will certainly answer it. We were anxious to make sure that a helpline was available fairly quickly, which meant that all those things had to be organised in a matter of days and we did the best we could. It was quite heavily used on the first day or so, but I understand that usage tapered off after that. We tried to do our best to ensure that help was available, which meant that arrangements had to be made fairly quickly.

"fairly quickly?"
I recall that on the day of the IRA bomb in Manchester a client needed a freephone number.
BT had it working within forty-five minutes of my telephoned request. OK, the (second) request was to someone fairly (very) senior, but presumably the government could do the same, or have opened up normal lines.
BT can even provide lines on Christmas Eve (separate story, before I go too far off topic).

The most annoying thing about Darling's reply was the fact that it was total BS - the number they used was one which was already in use for another HMRC purpose anyway - so they didn't even have to make any arrangements (except publish the number).

Heinz wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2007 at 9:49am:

The most annoying thing about Darling's reply was the fact that it was total BS - the number they used was one which was already in use for another HMRC purpose anyway - so they didn't even have to make any arrangements (except publish the number).

Tanllan said, ["fairly quickly?"
I recall that on the day of the IRA bomb in Manchester a client needed a freephone number.
BT had it working within forty-five minutes of my telephoned request. OK, the (second) request was to someone fairly (very) senior, but presumably the government could do the same, or have opened up normal lines." ]

I suggest you email this MP with your and Tanllan's comments, maybe with proposed questions and comments to Darling in a much stronger and more insistent tone.

Heinz wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2007 at 9:49am:

The most annoying thing about Darling's reply was the fact that it was total BS - the number they used was one which was already in use for another HMRC purpose anyway - so they didn't even have to make any arrangements (except publish the number).

The reply is not BS, it is worse than that. They knew that the volume of calls would increase considerably and so would have had to think about how to deploy extra staff to answer that number before giving it in the press release. The option of providing a suitable special number would have been considered and rejected.

Sorting out how best to use 03 numbers and changing the published information will take a little time for HMRC and government agencies in general. This must however start now (already far too late). There is however no excuse whatsoever for not having 03 numbers ready to use when new announcements are made. If not, then geographic alternatives MUST be offered anyway.

Ms Goldsworthy is one of many government back-bench and opposition members who are now well onto this topic. They must be encouraged in their efforts. I believe that this matter is worthy of attention by the Public Adminsitration Select Committee, which is best placed to perform the necessary scrutiny of the governments gross failure in this area.

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 05 Dec 2007 (pt 0016)

The Select Committee report also addressed the important question of costs, particularly in terms of telephone systems. It rightly identified the use of 0845 and 0870 numbers for helplines and in call centres. They are proliferating in the benefits system now that face-to-face contact appears to be a thing of the past in the Department for Work and Pensions. Those costs are enormous. Although the assumption is often made that people have a landline, so the rates are relatively cheap, the social fund's evidence is that up to half of the calls it receives are made from a mobile phone. Depending on the network operator, when someone calls an 0845 number, or even an 0800 one, from a mobile phone it can cost up to 40p a minute. They might end up being on the phone for anything from 10 to 50 minutes, depending on the helpline that they are calling and the reason for doing so. That soon adds up to a substantial sum that people are being asked to pay simply to get what most would say is their entitlement under the welfare system, which is supposed to be available to all.

Rob Marris: I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman. Does he agree that paragraph 15 of the Government's response, on the 0845 numbers, is rather a weak response and that it is based on a misunderstanding? I understand that calls to 0845 numbers cost four or five times the cost of a regular landline call, so a local call on the regular landline might be 1p a minute whereas an 0845 call might be 5p a minute. We all know how long people may have to wait on the phone, and these interviews can be lengthy. Is he also aware that last December Lord Warner, who was then a Minister in the Department of Health, put out a circular specifically discouraging general practitioners' surgeries from using 0845 numbers? These numbers are another proliferation of back-door charging, but they are particularly distressing in respect of the Department for Work and Pensions, which deals with some of the most vulnerable and poorest people in our society.

Danny Alexander: I could not agree more. The hon. Gentleman rightly points out that these calls are more expensive even from a landline, and they can be massively expensive from a mobile phone. The Government often respond by saying that they do not obtain any financial benefit from these numbers, but that is not the point, because our constituents pay that money. It does not matter who the money is going to. We are talking about people who might be seeking to claim benefits amounting to £40 or £50 a week, so if they spend 50 minutes on their mobile phone calling a helpline that charges 40p a minute, I believe that that adds up to £20—the hon. Gentleman is better at maths than I am—and a significant chunk of the money that they hope to claim.

The Government need to do two things. They must make 0800 numbers standard throughout from landlines, and they must work with mobile phone operators to get the costs as close to nil as makes no difference.

Rob Marris: Or 03 numbers.

Danny Alexander: Or 03 numbers, as the hon. Gentleman says. It is a consequence of a point that I made earlier that these systems appear to be set up in the interests of the system and not in the interests of the claimant. It is crucial in the development and simplification of the benefits system that the claimant's interests come first. This could be a quick win for the Minister, because the sort of instruction that was issued to GPs could equally be issued across the DWP, and I am sure that new phone systems could be put in place so that people calling the social fund helpline before Christmas do not have to pay huge sums. I hope that she will explain what she will do to make that happen. This situation is a consequence of what my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy) and I have described as the faceless state. The DWP is at the forefront of an increasingly faceless and bureaucratic system, where the system's interests are put far ahead of the claimant's.

idb wrote on Dec 24^th, 2007 at 9:17am:

This situation is a consequence of what my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy) and I have described as the faceless state. The DWP is at the forefront of an increasingly faceless and bureaucratic system, where the system's interests are put far ahead of the claimant's.

Here, here, here.

Here, here, here again.

What an outrage. Why doesn't one of these MPs have the b---s to ask why the government is, clearly under Brown's direction and insistence, using these numbers deliberately to deliver further stealth taxes to the Exchequer, often from those suffering trauma, stress, illness and impoverishment? What is Socialism and Labour supposed to be about? Penalizing the poor and suffering? I don't think so!

Other parliamentary questions have been asked previously about the actual revenues being generated for the Exchequer from the use of these numbers by government departments, and the answers have indicated that large sums of money are involved, not "nothing" as claimed within this question as an answer which has been given relative to this additional abuse!

dorf wrote on Dec 24^th, 2007 at 8:34pm:

Other parliamentary questions have been asked previously about the actual revenues being generated for the Exchequer from the use of these numbers by government departments, and the answers have indicated that large sums of money are involved, not "nothing" as claimed within this question as an answer which has been given relative to this additional abuse!

But unfortunately they get ever more cunning and instead use the revenue to pay for the phone lines, the switchboard, the line rental and even the call centre staff as deductions before accepting any claim they are making a profit.  As nothing is then left to pass back as an actual cheque from their telco partners they then claim that they are not receiving a cut on the calls.

Or in some cases, as with NHS Direct, the revenue all seems to be going in to the pocket of a bloated and highly monopolistic British Telecom.

idb wrote on Dec 24^th, 2007 at 9:17am:

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 05 Dec 2007 (pt 0016) ...

Here here here yet again.

May I refer readers back to my earlier posting on these exchanges and to further links provided there.

Most significant is the reply from the Minister: -


SilentCallsVictim wrote on Dec 6^th, 2007 at 12:31pm:

Ms Flint, who may understand what she is saying, confirms the following offer: “We are encouraging our staff to make the point that they can ring people back”.

[Scottish parliament]

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-06/wa1110.htm

Scottish Executive Services

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many 0870 numbers it operates.

Holding answer issued: 9 November 2006
(S2W-29032)


Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its services operate an 0870 number.

Holding answer issued: 9 November 2006
(S2W-29033)


Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the services for which it has responsibility that operate an 0870 number, also listing the telephone number.

Holding answer issued: 9 November 2006
(S2W-29034)


Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its departments operate 0870 phone lines.

Holding answer issued: 9 November 2006
(S2W-29036)


Mr Tom McCabe: Information Systems and Information Services Division manages telephony services used within the Scottish Executive. The division does not use any 0870 numbers in the provision of telephony services.

Individual departments may from time to time run public awareness campaigns which offer advice on health, education etc that use NTS services. These services would not be funded from the admin budget and no information is held centrally on the use of these services.

Information on the use of 0870 numbers across agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and therefore that information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on charging individuals who phone a service for which it is responsible.

Holding answer issued: 9 November 2006
(S2W-29035)


Mr Tom McCabe: Information Systems and Information Services Division (ISIS) manages telephony services used within the Scottish Executive. ISIS has adopted Ofcom recommendations on best practice in relation to Number Translation Services (NTS) which are often used for telephone-based services.

Individual departments may from time to time run public awareness campaigns which offer advice on health, education etc that use NTS services. These services would not be funded from the admin budget and no information is held centrally on the use of these services.

Information on the use of 08 numbers across agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and therefore that information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

[Scottish parliament]

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-05/wa0317.htm

Telecommunications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what 0870 numbers (a) it uses, (b) its agencies use and (c) non-departmental public bodies use and what revenue it has derived from each such number in each year since 1999.

 (S2W-14520)


Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the use of 0870 numbers across the Scottish Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and therefore the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Communications and Information Services Division manages telephony services used within the Scottish Executive. The division does not use any 0870 numbers in the provision of telephony services.


Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many 0845 numbers (a) it uses, (b) its agencies use and (c) non-departmental public bodies use and what revenue it has derived, or costs it has incurred, from each such number in each year since 1999.

 (S2W-14521)


Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the use of 0845 numbers across the Scottish Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and therefore the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Communications and Information Services Division manages telephony services used within the Scottish Executive. The Division uses one 0845 number in the provision of telephony services, specifically to facilitate calls to the Scottish Executive on a local call tariff from any where in the UK. This service costs about £9,000 per annum.


Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many 0800, 08000, 0500 or other "free to the caller" numbers (a) it uses, (b) its agencies use and (c) non-departmental public bodies use and what revenue it has derived, or costs it has incurred, from each such number in each year since 1999.

 (S2W-14522)


Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the use of 0800, 08000, 0500 numbers across the Scottish Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and therefore the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Communications and Information Services Division manages telephony services used within the Scottish Executive; the Division makes use of two 0800 numbers to provide remote access to the Scottish Executive’s IT network at a combined cost of around £100,000 per annum. A call to an 0800 number is free to the caller with the called party paying the full cost of the call. A further four 0800 numbers in use and registered in the name of the Scottish Executive have been identified by British Telecommunications plc but no cost data is held centrally.


Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it advertises a geographic telephone number as an alternative to each non-geographic number used to access services provided by it or its agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

 (S2W-14523)


Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive advertises telephone numbers for services through British Telecommunications plc phonebooks, the Scottish Executive website and individual publications and leaflets.

The Scottish Executive’s central switchboard and enquiry facility has two published numbers, one geographic and one non-geographic. In 2004 the decision was made to promote the use of the 0845 774 1741 number rather than the 0131 556 8400 in order to provide equality of access across Scotland. The British Telecommunications plc phonebook entries are being updated to reflect this and work is currently underway on redesigning the content and format of these entries.

The Scottish Executive website advertises both the geographical and non-geographical numbers wherever appropriate.

Information on the use of advertising of non geographic numbers as an alternative to geographic numbers across the Scottish Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and therefore the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.


Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many 09 or other premium rate numbers (a) it uses, (b) its agencies use and (c) non-departmental public bodies use and what revenue it has derived from each such number in each year since 1999.

 (S2W-14524)


Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the use of 09 or other premium numbers across the Scottish Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and therefore the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Communications and Information Services Division manages telephony services used within the Scottish Executive. The division does not use any 09 or other premium rate numbers in the provision of telephony services.


Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what changes it will make to its use of telephone numbers, in light of Ofcom’s guidance for government departments using 0845 and 0870 numbers, referred to in Number Translation Services - Options for the future, published by Ofcom on 22 October 2004.

 (S2W-14525)

...

...

Mr Tom McCabe: The Ofcom consultation document Number Translation Services - Options for the future was published by Ofcom on 22 October 2004 with the consultation closing on 7 January 2005. Following receipt and consideration of responses, Ofcom will set out its decision as to the Number Translation Services option to be implemented in a Statement likely to be published in calendar quarter two of 2005.

The Scottish Executive is aware of this review and will adopt Ofcom recommendations on best practice for the use of these services when the review is complete.

[Scottish parliament]

Business Bulletin No. 145/2006: Monday 16 October 2006

S2W-29032 Mr Kenneth Macintosh: To ask the Scottish Executive how many 0870 numbers it operates.

S2W-29033 Mr Kenneth Macintosh: To ask the Scottish Executive which of its services operate an 0870 number.

S2W-29034 Mr Kenneth Macintosh: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the services for which it has responsibility that operate an 0870 number, also listing the telephone number.

S2W-29035 Mr Kenneth Macintosh: To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on charging individuals who phone a service for which it is responsible.

S2W-29036 Mr Kenneth Macintosh: To ask the Scottish Executive which of its departments operate 0870 phone lines.

[Scottish parliament]

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/audit/or-07/au07-0502.htm

Murdo Fraser: I would like to ask a short follow-up question because your comments on the 101 number were interesting. Correct me if I am wrong, but you seemed to suggest that if we introduced a new national non-emergency number the public would become very aware of it and would make far more calls to it than the current number of non-emergency calls, so the cost might be higher than we would expect.

Miranda Alcock: The non-emergency use of 999 might reduce, but the total number of calls would increase hugely. That has happened under the new system. The convener spoke about the number of callers who had difficulty in getting through. One difficulty that every force had was in estimating the number of calls that it received before centralisation. All the forces underestimated the number of calls, so they were stuck with systems that were geared to dealing with the number of calls that they thought they would receive, while they were dealing with far higher call numbers than expected. That has been a huge change for all the forces, which they are still struggling to cope with.

The Convener: The point is relevant. Problems and demand have not necessarily increased but, because the new centres have higher capacity, they are meeting the previously unmet need. As I and, I am sure, others know from talking to constituents, if people wanted to report something that was not a life-or-death issue, they often became so frustrated that they just gave up, so the incident was never recorded. Once the system can cope with more calls, more calls inevitably get through. That has produced an upsurge in some areas.

Murdo Fraser makes a relevant point. People aspire to having a simple number, because that can be easily remembered and dialled when people know that it is not a life-or-death issue, so it does not mean a 999 call. Murdo Fraser has suggested that having such a number could have significant cost implications. We would need to consider carefully whether alternatives exist.

I have an antipathy to public agencies using 0845 or 0870 numbers, which cost a significant amount of money to call from mobile phones. Often, the poorest sections of the community have to use mobile phones to make such calls, and they can least afford that. Some households make the mobile phone their main phone to avoid paying line rental and we could burden those people with significant costs. I had to dial the 0845 number for NHS 24 when I was out with my wife and she was taken ill, and I was on the phone for a considerable time. I could afford that, but not everyone is as well placed.

We need to do further work to ensure that we have proper accountability, proper accessibility

Col 118


and proper management of costs. A balance must be struck in having an alternative to 999 and achieving public access. Perhaps we could come back to the separate issue of public access to public agencies that use such numbers.

[Scottish parliament]

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-05/sor0203-02.htm

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): I listened with considerable interest to Richard Baker's speech. He said many interesting and valuable things. Of course, the jobcentre plus staff are committed and engaged. During the recent problems at Richards, they went beyond the narrow brief of their job. That is an example of why the public services, in many instances, have an advantage over the services that are provided

Col 14344


by private companies. The problem is that the proposed changes put at risk the public service ideal. I am sad that Richard Baker was unable to sign the motion in Brian Adam's name, but I take it that he is supportive of it. If MPs failed to relay their constituents' concerns, whatever their individual views, they would reap the whirlwind. If those MPs are part of the Administration that is making changes that could potentially disadvantage their constituents, they will be judged not on their ability, but on their achievement.

There are some important general issues around all this. We must consider innovative ways of delivering benefits and ensuring that people in our community are able to access the benefits to which their situation entitles them. In Aberdeen, there are encouraging signs and, in some places, one can go to one address and access a range of services. However, it appears that the changes that are envisaged might well put that at risk and mean that people will have to visit many doors to get the same support as they received before.

We should not underestimate the real difficulties that people have with paperwork. My wife, like me, is a mathematician, who has made a successful business career for herself. However, like many others, faced with her tax form, she kept it right to the end until, finally, on 25 January, she said, "I need your help." By the way, I refused to give her help, on the basis that she is at least as intelligent as I am—and probably more intelligent—and that she might blame me for making a mess of it. The point is that the people who most need the support of a range of benefits are those who are least able to deal with the paperwork.

If we take that further, it is obvious that moving support to the telephone will create more barriers. As my colleague Brian Adam mentioned, it will create an economic barrier because the 0845 dialling code, which was originally introduced as a local-rate call that could be delivered nationally, is now tied to a fictional local rate that no telephone company charges that now exceeds what the telephone companies charge for national calls. The practice has been severely criticised in a recent Office of Communications report, which also criticised the charges for 0870 numbers, so I hope that we will see some change on that.

However, the proposed closures will also remove the essential across-the-desk contact that allows the adviser to see the body language of the person who is seeking help and the recipient to get feedback. Those with the greatest needs are precisely the people who will not get what they need without human access. Like other members, I suspect, I have used the services of DWP staff for many of my constituents who I thought would benefit from the benefits check facility that is

Col 14345


available. That service is put at risk by the proposed changes across Scotland.

I say yes to innovation and to delivering services through a single door. However, simply paying off staff and closing offices will contribute nothing to addressing social exclusion.

[Scottish parliament]

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/documents/AOLettertoRoberGordon.pdf

Dear Mr Gordon,
AGS REPORT – POLICE CALL MANAGEMENT
At its meeting on the 24 October 2007, the Audit Committee considered the joint Auditor General for Scotland and Accounts Commission report entitled “Police call management (AGS/2007/08)”. An extract from the official report of that meeting is attached for information.
The Committee noted the report and agreed to write to you as the Accountable Officer to ascertain how the recommendations set out in the report will be taken forward. The Committee raised a number of concerns regarding the use of the 999 number for non-emergency calls, the provision of feedback to callers and the provision of information to attending officers. The Committee also highlighted underlying issues in relation to the accountability framework for police services in Scotland. The Committee is specifically interested in the following points:
The Report highlights the fact that a large number of 999 calls do not relate to true emergency situations. The Committee therefore wishes to know:
• Is the Scottish Government doing any work to coordinate the use of alternative numbers for non-emergency situations?
• Has the Scottish Government considered the cost and resulting accessibility implications to members of the public using mobile phones to access any alternative number, especially those numbers starting with 0845 or 0870?
• Has the Scottish Government compiled estimates of the cost to forces and to central government of using alternative numbers?
• What plans does the Scottish Government have to ensure the public are aware of what numbers they should call?
• What work is being done to ensure that police services link effectively with other emergency services in relation to management of 999 calls, to ensure effective use of public expenditure across these services?

[Welsh assembly]

http://www.assemblywales.org/n0000000000000000000000000035384.pdf

5. Premium Rate Numbers for GP Surgeries
5.1 The adoption of 0870 National Rate numbers by GP practices is seen as an additional cost to patients. On the 24th February 2005, the Health Minister John Hutton announced a ban on the use of such numbers by General Practices in England.
5.2 Since this announcement Wales has migrated a number of GMS practices over to the low cost 0844 numbers. Network Europe Group (NEG) has facilitated this on behalf of NHS Wales.

idb wrote on Dec 27^th, 2007 at 12:07am:

• Has the Scottish Government considered the cost and resulting accessibility implications to members of the public using mobile phones to access any alternative number, especially those numbers starting with 0845 or 0870?

What about the cost from landlines?

Questions for Oral or Written Answer beginning on Monday 14 January 2008

MONDAY 28 JANUARY
Questions for Written Answer


Notices given on Wednesday 9 January
1
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179010)  
2
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179008)  
3
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179007)  
4
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) her Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179009)  
5
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many 0845 or similar telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179013)  

THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY
Questions for Written Answer

Notices given on Tuesday 8 January
1
N  Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether it is the Government's policy to publish geographic telephone numbers of Government Departments and agencies that use non-geographic numbers for call centres.
(177945)

Notices given on Thursday 10 January
1
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179198)  
2
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179199)  
3
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179200)  
4
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department, (b) the NHS and (c) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179201)  
5
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) her Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179202)  


Notices given on Friday 11 January
1
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179377)  
2
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179376)  
3
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179375)  
4
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179373)  
5
N  Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
(179374)

Provisional Forthcoming Business of the House of Commons
21 - 25 January 2008


Monday 21 January

The House will sit at 2.30pm

Oral Questions - Defence, including Topical Questions
Legislation - European Union (Amendment) Bill - Second reading
Adjournment - 0844 revenue sharing telephone numbers - Mr Graham Stuart

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 16 Jan 2008 (pt 0037)

Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average cost of making a benefit claim by telephone. [170794]

Caroline Flint: The Department estimates the average cost of making benefit claim by telephone using a BT landline telephone is in the following table.

Benefit Basis of calculation Cost (p)
Attendance allowance
0800 number
Nil

Carers allowance
0800 number
Nil

Disability living allowance
0800 number
Nil

Incapacity benefit
0800 number
Nil

Income support
0800 number
Nil

Jobseeker's allowance
0800 number
Nil

Pension credit
0800 number
Nil

State pension
0845 number. Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm. Based on an average call of 20 minutes at 3.95p per minute including a 6p set up fee per call.
86

State pension
0845 number. Monday to Friday before 6am and after 6pm and on Saturday. Based on an average call of 20 minutes at a BT rate of 1p per minute including a 6p set up fee per call.
26

Social fund crisis loans
0800 number
Nil


The Pension Service will always offer to call state pension customers back if they express any concerns about the costs being incurred.

Customers calling an 0800 or 0845 number from their mobile phone, non BT phone network or from abroad will be charged at the specific operators call rate.

idb wrote on Jan 17^th, 2008 at 11:50pm:

Caroline Flint: The Department estimates the average cost of making benefit claim by telephone using a BT landline telephone is in the following table: 0845 number. Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm. Based on an average call of 20 minutes at 3.95p per minute including a 6p set up fee per call. 0845 number. Monday to Friday before 6am and after 6pm and on Saturday. Based on an average call of 20 minutes at a BT rate of 1p per minute including a 6p set up fee per call.

Oh dear. Start again.

If I read the BT tariff sheet correctly the rates of 3.95p and 1p only apply to those on the Light User Scheme, BT Basic or BT Standard Rate, who incur a set up fee of 3p. Most BT landline customers will be on BT Together.

The only actual figures given are incorrect, and surely these are atypical claimants.

In a recent debate (see posting covering this), it was mentioned that around 50% of telephone claims are made using a mobile phone. This renders all of the zero figures meaningless.

The question asked for the “average cost of making a benefit claim", not possible minimum costs giving incorrect figures for a rarely used telephone tariff for only one benefit based on an average call duration. It was the average cost that was requested. That would never be zero.



idb wrote on Jan 17^th, 2008 at 11:50pm:

… “The Pension Service will always offer to call state pension customers back if they express any concerns about the costs being incurred”.

One may first wish to consider the likelihood of callers being aware of the cost they are incurring so that they could become concerned. One may then wonder if someone who is politely asking about which of a complex array of benefits they may be entitled to receive would wish to start the conversation with a complaint. Some may do this as they angrily demand their rights, but they are no more entitled to fair treatment than those who may adopt a supplicatory tone.

From a political perspective, one may question why we are paying benefits to those who are so wealthy that they may be unconcerned about how they spend money. Those who have no concern about the cost of the call should surely be denied the benefit! Must that concern be expressed?

The answer given suggests that the 50% who call from mobiles do not receive this offer if they have called one of the numbers associated with Attendance allowance, Carers allowance, Disability living allowance, Incapacity benefit, Income support, Jobseeker's allowance, Pension credit or Social fund crisis loans.

In the recent debate (see link to posting above) Ms Flint indicated that the offer to call back applied to all DWP claimamts, not just those claiming the state pension.

Let us hope the hold message says something like “we are sorry for the high cost you may be incurring whilst listening to this message, but as soon as you get through we will be happy to call you back if you are concerned about this”.

There is very good and widely-used technology that will automatically record a request for a call back and schedule it. For those who are prepared to call back to those who are happy to give their number and wait for a call, this technology saves the wasted time, annoyance and totally unnecessary cost incurred by waiting on a dead telephone line.

(Members who are particularly engaged with this issue may wish to provide a suitable briefing for Ms Flint, her DWP officials who wrote this reply, Ms Osborne and others, including those who participated in the earlier debate.)

Hi SCV

Will you be sending your comments about the incorrect answer to both the minister (Caroline Flint) and to the questioner (Sandra Osborne)?  

The House of Commons has clearly been mislead by the answer given and as such the Minister will have to apologise and give reasons for giving a misleading answer.

Misleading the House is always treated as a serious matter.

kk wrote on Jan 18^th, 2008 at 2:44pm:

Hi SCV Will you be sending your comments about the incorrect answer to both the minister (Caroline Flint) and to the questioner (Sandra Osborne)?

Many members are in contact with many MPs and others about the various issues raised in these boards.

We seek to find the most effective way of making a change for the better, rather than simply complaining about how things are. Tactical considerations therefore demand that some discretion is shown in who contacts whom, about what issue and when they do it.

Some of us also think it best not to empty their complete in and out mailboxes into the forum, but only to draw attention to matters in the public domain that may be of interest to all readers.

I am sure that some will have picked up on the suggestion at the end of my message. That is no reason why others may not wish to do so also.

David

HOUSE OF COMMONS ADJOURNMENT DEBATE
0844 REVENUE SHARING TELEPHONE NUMBERS
MONDAY 21 JANUARY 2008

Graham Stuart MP will introduce a debate on this topic at the end of today’s sitting in the Commons chamber.

This will commence after any 10:00 pm divisions at the conclusion of the debate on Europe.

The debate will last for 30 minutes. Mr Stuart may take interventions from other members. A minister will reply on behalf of the government.

This is simply a discussion; the only vote will be “that this house do now adjourn”.


The debate will be broadcast by BBC Parliament and by Parliament Live

A record will be found in Hansard from 8:00 am on Tuesday morning

Members may wish join efforts to encourage participation by MPs and coverage by the media.

Links to the published proceedings will be published in this thread.

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Jan 21^st, 2008 at 12:31pm:

HOUSE OF COMMONS ADJOURNMENT DEBATE 0844 REVENUE SHARING TELEPHONE NUMBERS MONDAY 21 JANUARY 2008 Graham Stuart MP will introduce a debate on this topic at the end of today’s sitting in the Commons chamber. This will commence after any 10:00 pm divisions at the conclusion of the debate on Europe. The debate will last for 30 minutes. Mr Stuart may take interventions from other members. A minister will reply on behalf of the government. This is simply a discussion; the only vote will be “that this house do now adjourn”. The debate will be broadcast by BBC Parliament and by Parliament Live

The direct link for today's debate appears to be http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=789&rel=ok - currently showing a discussion about the EU. I'll be tuning back in around 5pm EST/10pm GMT, hopefully to see the 0844 debate. Is there any chance that anything productive will occur?!

idb wrote on Jan 21^st, 2008 at 7:33pm:

Is there any chance that anything productive will occur?!

No.

As you probably know by now, you were subjected to political points-scoring of a very juvenile nature between the 3 or 4 MPs (out of the 640 or so) who stayed that late.

The full text of last night's debate on 0844 numbers at GP surgeries is here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080121/debtext/80121-0023.htm#0801223000005

Heinz wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2008 at 9:38am:

idb wrote on Jan 21st, 2008 at 7:33pm: Is there any chance that anything productive will occur?! No. As you probably know by now, you were subjected to political points-scoring of a very juvenile nature between the 3 or 4 MPs (out of the 640 or so) who stayed that late.

More significantly, a failure to focus on the key issue - the breach of the GMS contract represented by revenue sharing - caused the discussion to be diluted.

There are many other important issues around use of 0844 and 0845 numbers where it is the cost of calling, rather than the illegaility of revenue sharing, that is the key issue. The issue of waiting on hold is also important. All of these are important and connected, but sometimes need to be addressed separately.

Whilst overall we wanted a lot more to be achieved, we cannot say that nothing happened. We now need the media to pick up and repeat some of what was said, whilst we see what may be done through whatever the DH is actually going to do.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Jan 2008 (pt 0005)

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080114/text/80114w0005.htm#08011511000018

Emergency Calls

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many 999 calls were received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (a) in the year before the introduction of their non-emergency 0854 600 8000 number and (b) between November 2006 and October 2007. [171785]

14 Jan 2008 : Column 832W

Paul Goggins: The PSNI introduced its non-emergency number 0845 600 8000 on 1 November 2005. Between November 2006 and October 2007, more than 173,000 calls were made to this number.

The PSNI receives approximately 300,000 emergency 999 calls per annum.

Complete information on the number of 999 calls received by the PSNI is available from June 2007. For the periods November 2004 to October 2005 and November 2006 to May 2007, information is only available for 999 calls received within PSNI’s Urban region. Systems were not in place to collate the number of 999 calls received within Rural region during these periods. Systems were implemented for Rural region from June 2007 with the introduction of enhanced technology and the consolidation of rural control rooms.

The figures do not permit comparisons to be made because of changes to district structures.

The total number of 999 calls received on a monthly basis from June to October 2007 is shown in the following table.

1997      Total 999 calls received by PSNI
June      19,457
July      20,788
August      21,022
September      20,124
October      21,004

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Jan 2008 (pt 0047)

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080114/text/80114w0047.htm#08011543000102

NHS: Telephone Services

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which (a) organisations and (b) individuals his Department intends to consult on the possibility of introducing a new three-digit number for urgent care services, as stated in his Department’s NHS next stage review interim report, Our NHS, Our Future; [175029]

(2) how the NHS Next Stage Review will take forward the exploration of the possibility of introducing a single three-digit number for urgent care services, as described on page four of his Department’s document Urgent care update: Key areas highlighted by the Direction of Travel consultation and other work; [175031]

(3) whether a new three-digit number for urgent care services, as referred to in his Department’s NHS next stage review interim report, Our NHS, Our Future, will be delivered through NHS Direct. [175033]

Mr. Bradshaw: As part of the national health service next stage review, local clinical pathway groups are considering ways to improve the public’s understanding of how to access urgent care services. As the interim report of the review, published on 4 October, made clear, there may be benefit in adopting a three-digit number as a single point of access to urgent care. Various options are being considered.

The NHS Direct telephone advice service, which currently operates on 0845 4647, will shortly have to change its number. While it could move to an 03 number, we have had a preliminary discussion with Ofcom about the possibility of securing a three-digit number for NHS Direct. Any proposal would need to follow Ofcom’s normal process for consultation with the public.

Scottish Parliament -- Business Bulletin No. 9/2008: Thursday 17 January 2008

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/businessBulletin/bb-08/bb-01-17d.htm

Section D - Oral questions selected for answer on 24 January 2008

Question Time

General

[...]

10. Ian McKee: To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the use of telephone numbers with the prefix 0845 by public agencies. (S3O-2048)

Rob Marris has achieved answers from many government departments to his circular question about how many “0845 and similar cost telephone numbers” are being used

Some of the answers given do include 0870 and even 0800, so the point is probably understood.

The index in Hansard is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080128/index/80128-x.htm

Answers for each department are given in alphbetical order by topic, this is “Departmental Telephone Numbers”.

A summary of the results for 28 January 2008:

1. Zero - DCMS, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
2. Clear answer given – DCLG:1; DfID:1; FCO:2; DEFRA:15; Transport:31; Home: 37; Exchequer:1222
3. Partial answer (there are more) – Defence:0; DCSF:17; Justice:111;  Health:5 (this is worth reading)
4. No answer yet: Cabinet Office, DBERR, DIUS, DWP

When we have the full set, there must be pressure for action - maybe new topics are needed.

David

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Jan 2008 (pt 0009)

Departmental Telephone Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) her Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [180076]


28 Jan 2008 : Column 44W

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers used by the Department of Transport and its Agencies are as follows:

Numbers of 0845 or similar cost numbers Comments
DfT (Central)
1
0845

DVLA
17
Fifteen 0870, one 0845 and one 0800

HA
4
Two 0845 and two 0870

DSA
4
The four 0870 numbers are currently being changed to 0300 numbers. Both are being run simultaneously for a few months to assist customer migration, and 0870 will then be discontinued.

MCA
1
0870

VOSA
3
Two 0870 and one 0845

VGA
1
0844

GCDA
0

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Jan 2008 (pt 0020)

Departmental Telephone Service
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) her Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [179202]

Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following table.

Number Purpose Type
0870 521 0410
Passport advice line
Phone

0870 240 8090
Passport advice line (Text Phone Service)
Minicon

0870 243 4477
Passport inquiries for High Street Partners
Phone

0870 243 1902
Passport Complaints
Phone

0870 909 0778
Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure dispute line
Phone

0870 125 1256
Siemens Business Services Query Letters
Phone

0870 909 0844
Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure application line
Phone

0870 909 0223
Criminal Records Bureau Welsh Language Line
Phone

0870 909 0344
Criminal Records Bureau
Minicon

0870 241 4680
Home Office's mailing house, Prolog
Phone

0870 241 4786
Home Office's mailing house, Prolog
Fax

0870 220 2000
TOGETHER (advice line for practitioners on tackling antisocial behaviour).
Phone

0870 336 9031
Contact Private Office to Jacqui Smith
Fax

0870 336 9032
Contact Private Office to Lord West
Fax

0870 336 9033
Contact Private Office to Vernon Coaker
Fax

0870 336 9034
Contact Private Office to Liam Byrne
Fax

0870 336 9035
Contact Private Office to Tony McNulty
Fax

0870 336 9036
Contact Private Office to Meg Hillier
Fax

0870 336 9048
Contact Parliamentary Team
Fax

0870 336 9045
Contact Ministers' Special Advisers
Fax

0870 336 9041
Contact Private Office Management Support Unit
Fax

0870 336 9037
Contact Permanent Secretary's Office
Fax

0870 243 0100
Security Industry Authority
Phone

0845 010 6677
Employers1 Helpline
Phone

0845 039 8002
PROSPECTS helpline
Phone

0845 601 2298
BIA Evidence and Enquiry line
Phone

0870 240 3781
Immigration Enquiry Bureau (enforcement and removals -recorded message only)
Phone


28 Jan 2008 : Column 95W

28 Jan 2008 : Column 96W
0845 300 2002
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Phone

0870 909 0811
Criminal Records Bureau General Inquiries
Phone

0870 909 0822
Criminal Records Bureau Registration Information Line
Phone

0845 602 1739
Enquiries about asylum support applications
Phone

0870 606 7766
Immigration Enquiry Bureau
Phone

0870 241 0645
Requests for immigration application forms
Phone

0845 010 5200
Nationality telephone enquiries
Phone

0870 521 0224
BIA Work Permits Literature Order Line
Phone

0845 600 0914
Asylum Support Customer Contact Centre
Phone

0870 241 6523
Enquiries about the work of the BIA Complaints Unit and advice to callers about how to complain
Phone

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Jan 2008 (pt 0035)

Departmental Telephone Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [179008]

Kevin Brennan: The information as requested is not readily available centrally within the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). To respond fully would involve an extensive information collection exercise which would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold. However, to be helpful; using a variety of information and data sources relating solely to DCSF headquarters, the following information can be provided.

DCSF currently sponsor seven telephone numbers with the prefix (a) 0870, and 10 telephone numbers with the prefix (b) 0845. Alternative geographic telephone numbers are available in each case.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Jan 2008 (pt 0028)

Departmental Telephone Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [179375]

Maria Eagle: My Department has 58 0845 telephone numbers and 53 0870 numbers which are in use for the public.

The Department does not keep a central record for related departmental bodies.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Jan 2008 (pt 0016)

Departmental Telephone Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [179199]

Jonathan Shaw: The information requested is set out in the following table.

DEFRA, Executive agency or non-departmental public body Customer contact service 08XX Number
DEFRA
DEFRA Helpline
08459 33 55 77

 
Animal Health
National Scrapie Plan
0845 601 4858

Welfare in Transit
0845 603 8395

Pet Travel Scheme Helpline
0870 241 1710

 
Government Decontamination Service
—
08458 501323

 
Rural Payments Agency
Rural Payments Agency Customer Service Centre
0845 603 7777

British Cattle Movement Service
 
English line
0845 050 1234

Welsh line
0845 050 3456


28 Jan 2008 : Column 75W
Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales
—
0845 000 0134

 
Consumer Council for Water
—
0845 039 2837

 
Environment Agency
National Customer Contact Centre
08708 506 506

Incident Hotline
0800 80 70 60

Hazardous Waste Registration
08708 502 858

Agricultural Waste Registration
0845 603 3113

Flood Line
0845 988 1188

 
Gangmasters Licensing Authority
—
0845 602 5021

 
Natural England
 0845 600 3078

idb wrote on Jan 21^st, 2008 at 7:33pm:

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Jan 21st, 2008 at 12:31pm: HOUSE OF COMMONS ADJOURNMENT DEBATE 0844 REVENUE SHARING TELEPHONE NUMBERS MONDAY 21 JANUARY 2008 Graham Stuart MP will introduce a debate on this topic at the end of today’s sitting in the Commons chamber. This will commence after any 10:00 pm divisions at the conclusion of the debate on Europe. The debate will last for 30 minutes. Mr Stuart may take interventions from other members. A minister will reply on behalf of the government. This is simply a discussion; the only vote will be “that this house do now adjourn”. The debate will be broadcast by BBC Parliament and by Parliament Live The direct link for today's debate appears to be http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=789&rel=ok - currently showing a discussion about the EU. I'll be tuning back in around 5pm EST/10pm GMT, hopefully to see the 0844 debate. Is there any chance that anything productive will occur?!

Confirmed, video link is: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=789&rel=ok

Forward into the video to 7h 48m 50s for the start of the debate.

Text transcript of the debate can be found here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080121/debtext/80121-0023.htm#0801223000005

Re the information provided in post 202 by idb above for replies given on 28th January regarding nos used by DSA which claims they are moving towards 03 nos muddled by the post under "Govt & Public Sector - DVLA rep" where an MP received a reply saying they had abandoned 03 nos as OFCOM had not changed the rules? Surely these are both agencies of the same department so I would have thought would have worked to the same rules?   Have is missed something?   Another case of "joined up government"?   If I have read these correctly, it seems ministers/civil servants need to communicate?   Perhaps someone who knows how to do this could ascertain which is the correct information so the public can be advised properly!

Order Book Part 2

76
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects Ofcom to issue its review of charges of calls made to 0870 numbers; for what reason the review has been delayed; and if he will make a statement.

Order Book Part 1

Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
1
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what agencies under his Department's responsibilities use (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone codes for customer enquiries; how many 0845 or 0870 telephone codes each agency uses; and how much revenue was generated by each of these codes for each agency in each of the last five years.

Barbara wrote on Jan 31^st, 2008 at 1:59pm:

If I have read these correctly, it seems ministers/civil servants need to communicate?   Perhaps someone who knows how to do this could ascertain which is the correct information so the public can be advised properly!

As the letter and the written answer were both given in the name of Jim Fitzpatrick this is not confusion between people.

The confusion (deliberate or otherwise) is about the role of Ofcom. Ofcom is neither a hero nor a totally innocent victim, but on this, as on many other occasions, it is being used as a scapegoat. Government departments like to pretend that Ofcom can tell them what to do, because that shifts the blame off them.

Ofcom has not directed any government department to stop using 0870 and to use 03 instead, because IT CANNOT DO THAT. Ofcom's powers of regulation only apply to the telcos. It can regulate how they charge for 03 and to whom they issue particular 03 numbers. Its powers in relation to 0870 numbers are stronger than it pretends, but it cannot tell any existing consumer not to use them. (Yes, government departments are consumers of telephone services just like you or I.)

The delay in switching off the 0870 numbers and migrating to 0300 has nothing to do with Ofcom. It is purely a matter for the Department, the Agency, their telecomms supplier and service users.

idb wrote on Feb 1^st, 2008 at 12:45am:

Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects Ofcom to issue its review of charges of calls made to 0870 numbers …

idb wrote on Feb 1^st, 2008 at 12:46am:

Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what agencies under his Department's responsibilities use (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone codes …

Mr Carmichael is a little confused.

The first question should have been asked of the DBERR, as this covers the telecomms work of Ofcom, although it is not an agency of the Department. DCMS covers Ofcom’s involvement in broadcasting. Noting similar mistakes in the past, he may get a reply anyway, although this could only cover what any government department “expects” to happen, it could not give any promises.

The second question is perhaps trying to fill a gap in the answers to the circular question that Rob Marris received on Monday (referred to in previous postings). As at Thiursday morning, Mr Marris was still awaiting the answer from the DBERR along with those from DIUS and DWP (“holding answers” will have been given). The Cabinet Office (Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster) replied on Wednesday saying Zero.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 05 Feb 2008 (pt 0014)

Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue was generated by each (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone code used for customer enquiry lines by her Department's agencies in each of the last five years. [183953]


5 Feb 2008 : Column 1008W

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following agencies of the Department for Transport have 0870 telephone codes which generated the following revenue over the last five years—no 0845 codes generated revenue:

DVLA DSA VOSA
2002-03
623,539
(1)—
0

2003-04
874,965
702,326
0

2004-05
1,945,131
706,399
10,386

2005-06
2,423,517
693,254
63,407

2006-07
1,945,131
623,284
72,397

2007-08 to date
2,555,102
404,043
62,894

Comments
0870 numbers
0870 numbers
0870 numbers

(1) Not available.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 05 Feb 2008 (pt 0019)

Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what agencies under his Department's responsibilities use (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone codes for customer enquiries; how many 0845 or 0870 telephone codes each agency uses; and how much revenue was generated by each of these codes for each agency in each of the last five years. [183962]

Mr. Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Rob Marris) on 29 January 2008, Official Report, column 248W.

From Scottish Parliament - Written Answers Thursday 24 January 2008

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-08/wa0124.htm#25

Public Sector

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the use of telephone numbers with the prefix 0845 by public agencies.        (S3O-2048)

John Swinney: The Scottish Government is guided in its use of 0845 numbers by best practice as recommended by OFCOM. The Scottish Government does use some 0845 numbers, but their continued use will be reviewed when OFCOM have completed their on-going review of Number Translation Services.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 07 Feb 2008 (pt 0033)

Departmental Telephone Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [179010]

Mr. Thomas: My Department administers one 0870 telephone number and seven 0845 telephone numbers for public use.

I have asked the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of their letters will be placed in the Libraries of the House.


7 Feb 2008 : Column 1445W

Letter from Stephen S peed, dated 7 February 2008:

The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2007/948) asking how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

The Insolvency Service has three 0845 lines. These are: the Insolvency Service Enquiry Line, the Redundancy Payments Helpline and the Enforcement Hotline.

Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 7 February 2008:

I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Companies House's Contact Centre telephone number is 0870 3333636.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 06 Feb 2008 (pt 0002)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of his Department's agencies use the (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone codes for customer enquiries; how many 0845 or 0870 telephone codes each agency uses; and how much revenue was generated by each of these codes for each agency in each of the last five years. [184046]

Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Prison Service use one 0845 number but the service provider, Cable and Wireless do not supply information on revenue generated by the 0845 number.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 06 Feb 2008 (pt 0006)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much revenue was generated by each (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone code used by his Department's agencies for customer enquiry lines in each of the last five years. [183952]

Meg Munn: The 0845/0870 numbers, in use by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are provided free of charge and for our convenience by the service provider.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office generates no revenue from their use

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 07 Feb 2008 (pt 0004)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by her Department and its agencies; and what revenue their use generated in each year for which figures are available. [180715]

Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government and its agencies has one non-geographical telephone number to provide information to homeowners in relation to Energy Performance Certificates (0845 365 2468). A third party manages this service on behalf of the Department. The Department does not derive any revenue from this service.

idb wrote on Feb 8^th, 2008 at 11:43pm:

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 07 Feb 2008 (pt 0004) Departmental Telephone Services Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by her Department and its agencies; and what revenue their use generated in each year for which figures are available. [180715] Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government and its agencies has one non-geographical telephone number to provide information to homeowners in relation to Energy Performance Certificates (0845 365 2468). A third party manages this service on behalf of the Department. The Department does not derive any revenue from this service.

Why on earth are these supposedly intelligent people not asking the right question?

The question in this case should have been:

"Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many non-geographic telephone numbers other than '03' numbers are in use by her Department and its agencies; what revenue their use generated in each year for which figures are available; why the have not yet been changed to 03 numbers as recommended by the COI; and when they will be changed to 03 numbers.

Part 2: Oral and Written Questions from
Monday 25 February 2008

290

Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to replace 0844 numbers with 0800 numbers for patients calling their GPs.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Feb 2008 (pt 0009)

Departmental Telephone Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [179377]

Mr. Lammy [holding answer 28 January 2008]: Comprehensive information about 0845 and similar numbers is not readily available centrally and to respond fully would involve an extensive information collection exercise which would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold. However, using a variety of information and data sources, I can confirm that the following numbers are in use:

Telephone numbers Access services
0845 603 4599
The UK Intellectual Property Office

0845 922 2250
The UK Intellectual Property Office

0845 950 0505
The UK Intellectual Property Office

0870 191 0111
Biotech Support

0870 191 0112
Information Society Support

0870 191 0113
NMP Helpline

0870 191 0114
1ST in Manufacturing

0870 191 0115
SME Helpline

0870 191 0116
Beta Technology (Research and Innovation Support). No longer promoted and routes to 0870 600 6080

0870 606 1515
National 1ST Programme Helpline. No longer promoted and routes to 0870 600 6080

0870 240 5927
FP7UK Helpline (Textphone)

0870 240 5929
FP7UK Helpline (Fax)

0870 600 6080
FP7UK Helpline

0870 191 0117
Transport (including Aeronautics) Helpline

0870 191 0118
Space Helpline

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Feb 2008 (pt 0012)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was generated by each (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone code used for customer enquiry lines by his Department's agencies in each of the last five years. [183954]

Angela Eagle: The UK Debt Management Office (DMO), HM Treasury's only agency, has generated no revenue from the operation of 0845 or 0870 telephone codes in the last five years. The DMO uses some 0845 telephone numbers but not for income generation purposes.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 20 February 2008
(the 'Questions Book')

558

Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5th February 2008, Official Report, columns 1007-8W, on departmental telephone services, how much revenue generated from 0870 telephone numbers of her Department's agencies came from Scottish landline numbers in each year.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 18 February 2008
(the 'Questions Book')

21

Anne Milton (Guildford): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public are used by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to his Department.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Feb 2008 (pt 0001)

Telephone Calls: Ofcom

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects Ofcom to issue its review of charges of calls made to 0870 numbers; what the reasons are for the time taken to complete the review; and if he will make a statement. [184308]

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.

The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Thursday 21 February 2008
(the 'Questions Book')

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

475
Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many incidents of jobcentre 0845 telephone system failure have occurred in the last 12 months.

[Transferred] (188523)  
476
Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms his Department has in place to inform callers of contact alternatives when a jobcentre's telephony service fails to connect to an operator.
[Transferred] (188524)  

477
Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the telephone service in jobcentres; and if he will make a statement.

idb wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2008 at 10:43pm:

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was generated by each (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone code used for customer enquiry lines by his Department's agencies in each of the last five years. [183954]

Whereas the question should have been:-

(a) What is the estimated additional total cost to UK taxpayers of having to call 084 and 087 prefixed customer service numbers operated by his Department compared to his department operating those numbers on conventional 01 and 02 prefixed geographic phone numbers.

and

(b) What steps is his department taking to replace 084 and 087 prefixed numbers with 03 prefixed numbers that will offer all the call handling features to his department of 084 and 087 prefixed numbers without costing UK taxpayers any more to call than numbers commencing 01 and 02.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 25 Feb 2008 (pt 0009)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what agencies under his Department's responsibilities use (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone codes for customer inquiries; how many 0845 or 0870 telephone codes each agency uses; and how much revenue was generated by each of these codes for each agency in each of the last five years. [183963]

Mr. Thomas: Each agency for which the Department is responsible has been asked to provide separate written response to the hon. Member.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 22 Feb 2008 (pt 0008)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much revenue was generated by each (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone code used for customer inquiry lines by his Department's agencies in each of the last five years. [183955]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department's two agencies, the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency do not use 0845 or 0870 telephone numbers.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 25 Feb 2008 (pt 0029)

Emergency Calls

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls were made to the police last year using the (a) 999 emergency number and (b) non-emergency 0845 6070999 number. [186758]

Mr. McNulty: The information is as follows:

(a) Data on the number of emergency calls made to the police are published in the Annual Reports of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). The latest available data refer to the 2004-05 financial year, and can be found in Figure 8 of the HMIC Annual Report 2004-05. This publication is available via the Home Office website at:

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0506/hc08/0842/0842.pdf

The total number of 999 calls received by the police forces of England and Wales for the year 2004-05 was 10,243,515.

(b) Data on the number of non-emergency calls made to the police are not collected centrally.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Feb 2008 (pt 0026)

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to replace 0844 numbers with 0800 numbers for patients calling their GPs. [189563]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is currently gathering evidence on the use of 0844 numbers in general practice and will consider what further action is necessary in light of that evidence.

General Practitioners: Telephones

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he has issued to primary care trusts on the use of premium rate telephone numbers by GPs for patients calling their surgeries. [190033]

Mr. Bradshaw: General medical services (GMS) contractors were banned from using premium rate numbers (09 or 087) via The National Health Service (Primary Medical Services) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations SI 2005 No. 893. The ban came into force in April 2005.

The ban did not include 084 numbers. However, on the 11 April 2005, the Department wrote to primary care trust chief executives advising them to discourage general practitioner practices from changing from geographically based numbers to ‘084' numbers until after the outcome of the Ofcom consultation was known.

The Department is currently gathering evidence on the use of 0844 numbers in general practice and will consider what further action is necessary in light of that evidence.