HC Deb 18 January 1996 vol 269 cc671-2W
Mr. William Ross

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many mobile telephones have been supplied to his Department in each of the last eight years; and in each year how many different suppliers were involved. [9127]

Mr. Jonathan Evans

Headquarters—and associated officers—currently have 61 live contracts for mobile telephones with British Telecom, Cellcom and Talkland.

The telephones were supplied in each of the following years as follows:

Supplier Number
April 1990 to April 1991 British Telecom 3
Cellcom 5
April 1991 to April 1992 Cellcom 3
April 1992 to April 1993 British Telecom 6
Cellcom 9
April 1993 to April 1994 Talkland 11
British Telecom 4
April 1994 to April 1995 Talkland 1
Cellcom 1
Since April 1995 Talkland 10
Carphone Warehouse 8
Dictating Machine Co. Ltd 8

Information prior to 1990 is unavailable.

I have asked the chief executives of the Court Service and the Public Trust Office to reply separately.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. William Ross, dated 18 January 1996: The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to the above Question about the number of mobile telephones supplied to the Court Service and the number of suppliers used. Not all Circuit offices keep central figures of the mobile telephones in use in their region and a number are supplied under local arrangements. To obtain more detailed information in the timescale allowed would incur a disproportionate cost. Nevertheless, I can confirm that in April 1995, the date on which the Court Service was established, approximately 411 mobile phones were in use throughout the Court Service. This figure now stands at approximately 502. Some 22 suppliers are involved.

Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. William Ross, dated 18 January 1996: The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 10 January 1996, regarding the number of mobile phones purchased in each of the last eight years and the number of different suppliers involved. The Public Trust Office has not supplied any mobile phones to its staff during the last eight years.