Mr. Alan WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many calls have been made on the premium-rate telephone system set up for families to make inquiries about relatives trapped in Iraq and Kuwait; how much in total has been received at the latest available date from British Telecom as the Foreign Office's share of the premium tariff; and how much British Telecom receives as its share of the agreement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveA total of 38,699 calls were received between 8 August, when the system was introduced, and 3 October when it was discontinued and replaced by a freefone facility. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's share of the premium tariff was £8,136, of which so far £4,000 has been given to the Gulf Support Group for accommodation costs.
It is not the policy of British Telecom to divulge details of their share of revenue accruing from individual agreements.