§ Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of(a) call centres and (b) call centre jobs in Leeds. [156240]
§ Ms HewittExisting information does not enable us to provide reliable figures. However, my Department has commissioned research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of UK call centre operations to help identify any appropriate actions which need to be taken by industry or Government in response to the increasingly global market for call centre services. This will include an examination of the main product areas in the UK call and contact centre industry that are vulnerable to growing competition from lower-wage economies; and which types of call and contract centre activity and which regions have been most affected or are most likely to be affected in the near future.
§ Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of call centre jobs relocated abroad in the last five years. [156241]
§ Ms HewittExisting information does not enable us to provide reliable figures. Official statistics do not generally separate call centre activities from the main activity of a firm or enterprise (e.g. banking). The term "Call Centre" can be used to describe a broad variety of functions and activities across a wide range of commercial, industrial and public sectors. Difficulties and differences in definition are reflected in commercial market research on call centres where estimates on the number of call centres and call centre employees vary substantially. In light of this my Department has commissioned research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of UK call centre operations to help identify any appropriate actions which need to be taken by industry or Government in response to the increasingly global market for call centre services.