§ Sir Dudley SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to improve the service to those who telephone his Department's passport processing office at Peterborough so that they no longer continually get the engaged tone.
§ Mr. Renton[holding answer 31 March 1988]As I said in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 7 March, at column 4, a new 24-exchange line telephone system was installed at the Peterborough passport office in July 1987.
The recorded message facility to which I previously referred is now installed and provides information simultaneously to 12 waiting callers : as this should answer many general inquiries, callers will on average ring off earlier, freeing more lines for incoming calls.