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Emergency Calls

Volume 470: debated on Tuesday 8 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with plans to introduce a new national three digit non-emergency phone number for contacting the police; and if she will make a statement. (173131)

The Home Office has established a national telephony infrastructure for the non-emergency policing and community safety phone number, 101, and has demonstrated the principles and benefits of this new service in five police and council partnership areas across England and Wales. The Home Office will not continue to directly fund these initial partnership areas from 14 February 2008 or to directly fund further roll-out in other areas. However, the Home Office will continue to provide funding to support the national 101 telephony infrastructure. This continued funding together with the lessons learned for improving local services from the initial areas, will enable and inform local police and councils who wish to develop their own locally funded 101 service.