§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will instigate an inquiry into the service level of the telephone system in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on 25 April and its impact on emergency services; [54026]
(2) what investigation has taken place into the level of service of the telephone system in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on 25 April and its impact on emergency services. [54027]
§ Mr. AlexanderI understand that at 18.30 on Thursday 25 April a fault occurred in the equipment at the Southampton Bargate BT telephone exchange. As a result a large number of customers across a wide area in Hampshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight were affected involving the loss of their telephone service including access to the 999 emergency services. BT worked to restore service as quickly as possible and to mitigate the impact on the emergency services including the police. Services were restored to some 80 per cent. of customers by midnight and all others by 03:55 am the following morning.
Oftel is urgently investigating the causes of this failure and considering what measures should be put in place to avoid it happening again. I have asked the Director General to write to the hon. Member as soon as possible, and to keep me informed.