§ Virginia BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the service for people who attempt to use the Immigration and Nationality Directorate hotline.[72403]
§ Beverley HughesIn the last six months, calls answered by the Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau have increased by a third resulting in an average in excess of 21,000 calls a week. This has been attributed to the introduction of new staff (brought in via a regular recruitment programme) and to the new computerised telephone system, which is helping to manage the queues more effectively by giving the answers to commonly asked questions whilst callers are queuing.
§ Virginia BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered letters have been lost when sent out from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Croydon in the last 12 months. [72402]
§ Beverley HughesOver the period June 2001 to June 2002, 119 claims for compensation were made against the Royal Mail for Recorded Delivery items sent out by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Croydon, but not delivered.