Hansard 19 Jan 2009 - Cols 1200-1201W

Quote:

The costs incurred in putting the situation right are regrettable, but do not provide an adequate reason for doing nothing. Putting the issue out for public debate may be unnecessary, but it may help the DH get to grips with the solutions that are available and provide it with support in pressing them on possibly reluctant parties.

If the owners of the NHS wish to understand the position of the Department of Health and express their views, then the costs of producing and distributing copies of the consultation document to GP surgeries (or leaflets to advise of how to access it online) is perhaps justified.

---

Ben Bradshaw's comments confirm that the future for the current NHS Direct non-urgent telephone advice service is in doubt. The proposal for a national 3-digit, or more likely 6-digit 116xxx, number for urgent, but non-emergency, access to health and social care, whilst appearing sensible, opens up many issues regarding current services and the balance between local and national provision.

Whilst we are right to continue to call for the swift replacement of 0845 4647 with 0345 4647, we must recognise that the disruption involved and the cost of the related publicity would not be seen to be justified if the non-urgent health advice and information service and the number itself were to be withdrawn altogether shortly afterwards. In the event of a ban on use of revenue sharing numbers in the NHS, this particular number can however only be subject to an extended time limit for implementation of the ban, not exemption from its provisions.

The statement that NHS Direct does not receive "revenue" is either a way of concealing the fact that it takes the benefit in the form of subsidised costs, or an admission that BT Wholesale is overcharging. We await confirmation of which is the case.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Jan 2009 (pt 0017)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what use (a) his Department and (b) service providers under contract to his Department make of (i) 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers and (ii) revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; for which services such numbers are used; what prefixes are used for revenue-sharing numbers; how much revenue has accrued from revenue-sharing numbers in each of the last five years; what consideration his Department has given to introducing 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to all such services; and if he will make a statement. [247335]

Mr. McFadden: From the central records that are available, (i) there are seven 0845 telephone numbers services administered by the Department for public use. These are

0845 015 0010: BERR Publications Orderline

0845 015 0020: BERR Publications Orderline (Fax)

0845 015 0030: BERR Publications Orderline (Minicom)

0845 019 0001: Personnel Training Services Consortium

0845 600 0678: National Minimum Wage

0845 600 9006: Business Link Helpline

0845 955 5105: Employment Agency Standards.

The Department does not operate any revenue-sharing numbers. No records are held to show if the Department has ever used or benefited financially from revenue-sharing numbers in the past five years.

No telephone information is available from BERR's central records on the use of 0844/5 and revenue-sharing numbers by its contracted service providers

The Department has no immediate plans to use 03 prefixed numbers.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Jan 2009 (pt 0006)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use (a) his Department and (b) service providers under contract to his Department make of (i) 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers and (ii) revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; for which services such numbers are used; what prefixes are used for revenue-sharing numbers; how much revenue has accrued from revenue-sharing numbers in each of the last five years; what consideration his Department has given to introducing 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to all such services; and if he will make a statement. [247339]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The use of 0844, 0845, revenue-sharing telephone numbers and those with an 03 prefix is determined at local level in accordance with individual business requirements and obtained directly from the supplier. Records of such numbers are not held centrally and information relating to them, including any revenue accrued, could be provided at disproportionate cost.

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Jan 2009 (pt 0051)

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use (a) her Department and (b) service providers under contract to her Department make of (i) 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers and (ii) revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; for which services such numbers are used; what prefixes are used for revenue-sharing numbers; how much revenue has accrued from revenue-sharing numbers in each of the last five years; what consideration her Department has given to introducing 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to all such services; and if she will make a statement. [247344]

Mr. Woolas: Please see the following table detailing the use and purpose of non-geographic numbers, e.g. 0845 and 0870.

The Home Office did not derive any income from such charges in each of the last three years. Information relating to revenue generated prior to 2005 is not held centrally and as such it is not possible to answer this aspect of the question within time and cost limits of the PQ process.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) replaced all 0870 numbers to the Passport Adviceline with two 0300 numbers on 1 September 2008. The sole 0845 number to the Passport Adviceline was replaced at the same time with a 0300 number. There is however a transition period that is currently halfway through and both numbers will be accessible until 31 August 2009. The revenue arising from the previous 0870 IPS arrangements was approximately £300,000 per year and was used to offset the cost of providing the service to callers.

0845 numbers are however used for customer correspondence inquiries in to the Liverpool, Newport and Peterborough passport offices and similar arrangements are planned for the remaining four IPS regional passport offices.

The General Register Office, part of IPS, intends to investigate the introduction of an 03-prefixed telephone number during the financial year 2009-10.

Revenue sharing numbers
Number Purpose Type
0870 521 0410
Passport Adviceline (replaced on 1 September 2008 by 0300 222 0000)
Phone

0870 240 8090
Passport Adviceline (text phone service replaced on 1 September 2008 by 0300 222 0222)
Minicom

0870 243 4477
Passport enquiries for High Street Partners (replaced on 1 September 2008 by 0300 222 0000)
Phone

0870 243 1902
Passport Complaints (replaced on 1 September 2008 by 0300 222 0000)
Phone

0845 121 0046
Authentication by Interview (ABI) Booking Line (replaced on 1 September 2008 by 0300 222 1000)
Phone

0845 603 7788
GRO Certificate Services
Phone

0870 125 1256
Siemens Business Services IPS Query Letters (replaced on 1 September 2008 by 0300 222 1111)
Phone

0870 909 0778
Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure dispute line
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
Minicom

0870 909 0811
Criminal Records Bureau General Inquiries
Phone

0870 909 0822
Criminal Records Bureau Registration Information Line
Phone

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


19 Jan 2009 : Column 1221W

19 Jan 2009 : Column 1222W
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

0845 010 6677
UKBA Employers' Helpline
Phone

0845 039 8002
PROSPECTS helpline
Phone

0845 601 2298
UKBA Evidence and Enquiry line
Phone

0870 240 3781
Immigration Enquiry Bureau (enforcement and removals - recorded message only)
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
UKBA Work Permits Literature Order Line
Phone

0845 600 0914
Asylum Support Customer Contact Centre
Phone

0870 241 6523
Enquiries about the work of the UKBA Complaints Unit and advice to callers about how to complain
Phone

0845 602 1465
UKBA MPS hot line fax line
Fax

0845 601 1145
National Asylum Support fax line
Fax

0845 601 1143
National Asylum Support fax line
Fax

0845 609 0395
UKBA MPS hotline
Phone

0845 601 1150
National Asylum Support Service/MP's hot line
Phone

0845 010 5555
UK Visas (pre-recorded information line)
Phone

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Jan 2009 (pt 0045)

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP surgeries use 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; and if he will make a statement. [247307]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not hold this information centrally and it cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. However the Department remains clear that it does not expect patients to pay more than the equivalent cost of a local rate call when contacting their general practitioner.

We recently launched a public consultation on the intention to prohibit the use of 084 numbers in the national health service. This will run from 16 December 2008 until 31 March 2009.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of 0844 numbers by GPs' surgeries; and if he will make a statement. [248435]

Mr. Bradshaw: An information gathering exercise was completed in 2008 on the use of 084 telephone numbers in general practice. The information gathered was the subject of lengthy and detailed analysis before being shared with Ministers.

The Department subsequently launched a public consultation on the intention to prohibit the use of 084 numbers in the national health service. This will run from 16 December 2008 until 31 March 2009.

idb wrote on Jan 24^th, 2009 at 12:30am:

"None of the numbers are revenue sharing." Yes they are. That is the reason for higher termination charges. 

Callers pay at their "agreed rates"! lol That's a bit like saying that motorists pay for petrol at "agreed rates" from their "chosen" filling stations!

idb wrote on Jan 24^th, 2009 at 12:30am:


...and the start of the "ah, good, we don't have to worry about changing to 03 now, because people get calls free." brigade, too...