§ Mr. ByersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the telephone hotline for crime victims was established; how many calls have been made to it; how many staff have been employed to operate the hotline; how many hours a day it is in operation; and what has been the total cost of operating the service since its inception.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 30 January 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Stephen Byers, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the Victim's Helpline.The Helpline started operation on 5 December 1994 and by 26 January had received 49 calls. Three staff are available at any one time, undertaking other duties when they are not taking calls. Initial start-up costs for staff training, telephone lines and equipment, and other items were £8,400. Subsequent running costs are estimated to be in the region of £6,000.