§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee how much has been spent on telephone charges for parliamentary purposes; and how many telephone calls have been made for parliamentary purposes in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. BeithI have been asked to reply. For technical reasons it is not possible to identify the number of calls 31W made. However, call charges in each of the last five years for the Palace of Westminster are as follows:
- 1989: £561,000
- 1990: £570,000
- 1991: £690,000
- 1992: £599,000
- 1993: £497,000
The hon. Member will wish to note that since 1991 there has been a significant reduction in the overall cost of telephone calls due to the increased competition from telephone network companies, and to the introduction of the least cost routing system which ensures calls are directed by the cheapest means.