To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use (a) his Department and (b) service providers under contract to his Department make of (i) 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers and (ii) revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; for which services such numbers are used; what prefixes are used for revenue-sharing numbers; how much revenue has accrued from revenue-sharing numbers in each of the last five years; what consideration his Department has given to introducing 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to all such services; and if he will make a statement. (247350)

The Treasury Group does not use any revenue sharing telephone numbers.

Treasury Group organisations provide 0845 numbers for both internal and external facing services, including:

internal service desks for IT and facilities management for Treasury employees;

the OGC Service Desk, providing support on Office of Government Commerce matters to members of the public, and to private and public sector organisations;

seventeen 0845 numbers advertised on the website of the UK Debt Management Office (DMO), which are generally available for use by callers to the DMO for business continuity purposes.

The Treasury is currently reviewing its strategies for delivery of its services, which includes consideration of whether a move to using 03-prefixed telephone numbers would provide a better value service. DMO also plans to consider this in its next planning round.