§ Mr. SpeedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average and maximum recorded delay before members of the public are able to get through by telephone to the passport and immigration departments, respectively, at Lunar house, Croydon.
§ Mr. Renton[holding answer 25 March 1988]: Information is not available on the number of calls to Lunar house which receive an engaged tone. Information is available on the average and maximum recorded delays for calls from members of the public who have been connected to the nationality telephone inquiry bureau at Lunar house but whose calls have not yet been answered. This does not, however, distinguish between calls that are answered and those that are terminated by the exchange equipment or the callers.
Over the three months from December 1987 to February 1988 the average and maximum recorded delays described above were three minutes and 14 minutes respectively.
Similar information about calls answered by the immigration telephone inquiry bureau is not available. However, on the afternoon of 22 March, the average waiting time was six minutes. The longest delay was nine minutes.
§ Mr. SpeedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are currently employed answering telephone calls from the public in the passport and immigration departments at Lunar house, Croydon; and what was the comparable figure 12 months ago.
§ Mr. Renton[holding answer 25 March 1988]: The nationality telephone inquiry bureau has nine staff answering telephone calls from the public compared to six, 12 months ago.
The immigration telephone inquiry bureau has an average of 10 staff carrying out this duty compared to 17 a year ago. The reduction reflects the priority given to providing staff for the public inquiry office which deals with those who call in person.
§ Mr. SpeedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve telephone access to the public of the facilities at Lunar house, Croydon.
§ Mr. Renton[holding answer 25 March 1988]: The matter is being given urgent consideration.
§ Mr. SpeedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outside telephone lines are 687W currently available to receive calls from the public at the passport and immigration departments at Lunar house, Croydon.
§ Mr. Renton[holding answer 25 March 1988]: The nationality telephone inquiry bureau has 14 telephone lines available to receive calls from the public. There are 30 lines in the immigration telephone inquiry bureau.