-----Original Message-----
From: 10 Downing Street [mailto:team@petitions.pm.gov.uk]
Sent: 21 May 2007 17:19
To: e-petition signatories
Subject: Government response to petition 'saynoto0870'

Government response to petition 'saynoto0870'

The e-petition asking the Prime Minister to "compel all organizations using non-geographic numbers (e.g. 0845, 087* prefixes) to also publicize an equivalent geographic number (e.g. 01* / 02* prefixes) where they can be reached (and which can usually be called more cheaply than an 0845 / 087* number)" has now closed. This is a response from the Government.

Thank you for the epetition about the use of non-geographic telephone numbers.

The first few digits of a UK telephone number are already intended to give a broad indication to the caller of the type of service and/or cost of the call. In general those numbers beginning 0870/0871 are the most expensive, 0844/45 in the middle range and 0800 Freephone free of charge.

There are various reasons why a company may choose to use an 08 number. It is for a company's own commercial judgement to decide what type of telephone number to use.

The independent Office of Communications (Ofcom) which is responsible for numbering policy, cannot dictate to companies what type of numbers they must use. Neither can they demand that they link their non-geographic numbers to a local number.

But Ofcom knows that consumers have concerns that 084 and 087 numbers are increasingly being used by businesses as a higher priced alternative to ordinary geographic telephone numbers. Ofcom undertook a major review of its policy on these numbers and last April published a statement setting out a package of consumer-friendly measures.

These include introducing a new range of 03 non-geographic numbers which will cost no more than geographic rates and restoring the link between the 0870 prefix and the actual rates charged by telecoms companies for national rate calls.

These new measures are being introduced over time so, for instance, the introduction of 03 numbers has already started and the alignment of 0870 costs with national rates will come into effect in January 2008. These measures should result in considerably lower prices for consumers. The website address for the Ofcom document is:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/nts_forward/statement

Ofcom is also extending the regulation of Premium Rate Numbers to 0871 numbers because of concerns that companies are increasingly using them and charging the caller much higher rates for services such as weather forecasts and sports' information. Consultation will take place this year but the main aim will be to ensure customers know how much it will cost them to call 0871 numbers.

You might also be re-assured to know that the Government advised two years ago all its departments and agencies against their own use of 0870 numbers.

By no means all Departments did use 0870 numbers, but where they did, they should now have been replaced with either geographical, 0845 (local rate) or 0800 numbers.

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 The use of 0844 by Doctors is particularly distasteful and should be stopped immediately.

Come on, NGM. be honest. Did you really expect anything else?  

A bunch of oxygen thieves, all of them......

So now we have it from the Government itself - 0845 is local rate. No caveats, no "other tariffs may vary," no disclaimers. They've been taken in by the very lie whose existence they deny.

Quote:

And it goes on to say "0845 (local rate)". These two points contradict one another. 

Or when they say "link", do they mean link that telephone numbers rather than call rate? In which case, it is the 08x number that is "linked" to the 01/02 number and not the other way around.