HC Deb 14 November 1989 vol 160 cc145-6W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the cost of allowing everybody registered as seeking work in rural areas to be eligible for free telephone calls to their local jobcentre irrespective of the Telecom charges incurred.

Mr. Eggar

The information to enable an estimate to be made is not available.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of people seeking work who are denied access to a local free telephone facility from their home village to the nearest jobcentre because the Telecom telephone line routing is so indirect as to make the call liable to long distance rates.

Mr. Eggar

This information is not available.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he proposes to take to achieve a free telephone facility to the local jobcentre for everyone wishing to contact their local jobcentre.

Mr. Eggar

There are no plans to introduce a national free phone facility into jobcentres, although this has been introduced in some parts of the country where access to the jobcentre may be difficult and costly.