§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the oral statement of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Technology of 27 November,Official Report, columns 1163–66, concerning the future of the 999 service, if he will investigate the technical feasibility of running the existing system of operator centres within a competitive system of telephone providers.
§ Mr. LeighOftel has appointed independent consultants to advise on ways in which the current 999674W arrangements might be improved in the light of the growing numbers of telecommunications operators. Once their report is complete, all the options will be reviewed by the parties concerned in the light of the consultants' findings. As I have made clear, the Government fully support the director general's commitment to ensuring that the quality of any new arrangements at least maintains, and preferably improves, the current high standard of 999 call handling arrangements.