HC Deb 16 May 2002 vol 385 cc799-800W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 2 May 2002,Official Report, column 903W, on emergency calls services, how many subscribers on each BT exchange lost their service on Thursday 25 April, and for what period of time; what contingency plans are agreed with the Hampshire police for the breakdown of services to notify police control room; if he will place such plans in the Library; which police stations were closed for the duration of the breakdown; what the source was of his information that callers on the Isle of Wight would have been able to make 999 calls; who informed (a) the police and (b) BT of the breakdown; and who was responsible for notifying members of the public of the arrangements in place for 999 calls during the breakdown period. [56500]

Dr. Whitehead

77 sub-sections on the Southampton exchange were affected. Service to 80 per cent. of customers was restored by midnight and to the remainder by 3.55 am.

Contingency arrangements are set out in the code of practice for the public emergency call service between public network operators and the emergency services and the brochure "Loss of Access to BT's Public 999 Services". Copies of these two documents have been placed in the Library.

I understand from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight police that instructions were issued for all police stations to remain open or to reopen but in the case of Cowes, which shuts at 6 pm, it was not possible to reopen before 9.30 pm. It remained open until 2 am.

British Telecommunications have assured me that callers in the Isle of Wight would have been able to make 999 calls. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and BT were aware of the breakdown at the same time and made contact with each other.

It is the responsibility of the local emergency services, including the police, to ensure that they have contingency arrangements in place including arrangements to notify the public. These contingency arrangements will be reviewed in the light of the experience gained on 25 April in Southampton.