HC Deb 27 June 2000 vol 352 cc466-7W
Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many agencies of his Department use interactive voice response systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [127552]

Mr. Straw

An interactive voice response (IVR) system automatically answers telephone calls with a recorded voice which asks the caller to use the telephone keypad to select the required service. There are four executive agencies in my Department. The UK Passport Agency uses an IVR system for inquiries from the public. About 40 per cent. of calls are effectively dealt with by playing recorded information. The others are answered by operators in a call centre, who are able to handle most calls directly and to connect the rest to staff in regional offices. The available information shows that IVR systems are not used in Her Majesty's Prison Service, the Forensic Science Service or the Fire Service College. No central records of IVR systems are kept.

Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many departmental telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by interactive voice response systems. [127405]

Mr. Straw

An interactive voice response (IVR) system automatically answers telephone calls with a recorded voice which asks the caller to use the telephone keypad to select the required service. IVR systems are used by the Immigration Service at London (Heathrow) Airport Terminal 3, and at the Port of Dover. The Nationality Directorate and National Asylum Support Services also use IVR. The available information shows that no other IVR systems are used in my Department. No central records of IVR systems are kept.