Smoking Helpline (Hansard, 18 January 2002)

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have called the smoking helpline since it was set up. [24302]

§ Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 8 January 2002]: A total of 325,698 people have called the national health service smoking helpline in the inclusive period 1 June 2000 to 2 December 2001.

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed on the smoking helpline; and at what cost. [24304]

§ Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 8 January 2001]: A total of 213 staff, including 49 specialist advisers, are trained to work on the helpline services. The precise numbers engaged at any given time depends upon predicted call volumes.
The overall budget for the specialist adviser staff in 2001–02 is £285,000. Calls dealt with by the non-specialist service are charged on a per call basis with a budget ceiling of £239,000.

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the smoking helpline cost to set up. [24301]

§ Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 8 January 2002]: Set up costs of the national health service smoking helpline amounted to £37,420.