§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what telephone helplines to assist the public are administered by his Department and its agencies. [159509]
§ Mr. WillsThe Department administers the following helplines which provide advice and information to the public:
Helpline number Career Development Loans 0800 585 505 Childcare Link 0800 096 0296 Computers for Teachers 0870 241 4679 Individual Learning Accounts 0800 072 5678 Millennium Volunteers 0800 917 8185 New Deal Helpline 0845 606 2626 Work-Life Balance 020 7273 5626 In addition to these directly administered helplines, the Department regularly works with outside partners during the year to set up, or provide temporary support for, helplines on specific topics. Those planned in the near future are:
Travel Essentials (8–11 May): helpline supporting Radio 1 offering information and advice on finding work, training or education at home or abroad;Adult Learners Week (14–18 May): annual helpline, linked to Learn Direct (administered by UfI) for those wishing to take up or return to learning;Student Essentials Exams (21–23 May): helpline supporting Radio 1 offering information and advice to students with last minute worries regarding their GCSE\A Level exams.The Department's Public Enquiry Line (0870 000 2288) is the official contact point for members of the general public on all areas of DfEE activities.
The Department does not centrally hold information about helplines run by its agencies.