HC Deb 06 August 1980 vol 990 cc208-9W
Mr. Greville Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether persons employed by his Department who deal with the public by telephone are required to identify themselves at the citizen's request; whether any, and if so what, category of employee of his Department is forbidden to give his name at the request of a member of the public who speaks to him by telephone; if so, on what occasions and for what reasons; and whether he will instruct all those employed by his Department who have contact with the public by telephone to give their names at the caller's request.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

Members of the staff of my Department are not obliged to identify themselves at the request of a telephone caller, but no category of employee is forbidden to do so. All staff are expected to be helpful and courteous in their dealings with members of the public and are encouraged to give their names when requested if it would be useful and sensible to do so, but if any officer declined to give his name to a caller I would respect his decision. This is because the nature of the Department's business is, unfortunately, such that identified officers can become subject to personal abuse or even physical assault. Moreover, the general movement of staff and the organisation of the work means that it will often be misleading to link one named officer with a particular case or claim.

I do not, therefore, consider it appropriate to give instructions requiring all officers of my Department automatically to give their names on request.