§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone lines are in service at Lunar House; and how many telephone operators are on duty during daytime working hours. [18397]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien[holding answer 4 November 1997]: There are 162 telephone lines connecting either to an operator, or to a recorded message or directly to a member of staff. Of these, 28 are to the Telephone Inquiry Bureau which is staffed by an average of 20 staff on weekdays from 9am (10am Thursday) to 4.45pm (4.30pm Friday). The precise number of operators depends upon the demands of the Public Inquiry Office, with which staffing is shared.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies he has carried out into improving the Immigration Service by decentralising immigration control functions to offices outside London. [18398]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien[holding answer 4 November 1997]: Fewer than half the staff of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate work at the Croydon headquarters. The rest are at locations around the United Kingdom including sea and airports, enforcement offices, detention centres, presenting officer units and the Nationality office in Liverpool. The use of accommodation is kept under review but in present circumstances significant shifts of work away from Croydon are unlikely to be cost effective.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been received regarding accessibility of the Immigration Service at Lunar House by telephone in the last 12 months. [18395]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien[holding answer 4 November 1997]: This information is not collated centrally. The Telephone Inquiry Bureau received 13 complaints.