An honest and open response this time. Usefully, this will help in my ongoing battle with the Home Office and Immigration Department who seem to be guarding their rip-off numbers very well.

>>>

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request, sent to the Charity
Commission on 16 May 2005, relating to the use of 0870 telephone numbers
for inbound Customer calls to our Contact Centre.

Before I respond to the 3 questions you have raised I would like to take
the opportunity to make the following observations:-

* The use of 0870 telephone numbers for inbound Customer calls to
our Contact Centre is currently under review and serious consideration
is being given to the use of other viable alternatives (eg Geographic or
0845 (local rate) telephone numbers)
* It is noted that certain international telephone exchanges,
particularly in the United States, cannot connect callers with UK based
0870 or 0845 numbers. We intend to put appropriate guidance on our web
site (www.charitycommission.gov.uk) to advise such foreign nationals to
contact us via e mail rather than phone.

With reference to your specific Freedom of Information questions the
response is as follows:-

1. The geographic numbers for the services that the Charity
Commission currently operates using 0870 numbers are as follows:-    

* 0870 333 0123 - Geographic numbers 0151 703 1797 or 01823 345000
* 0870 333 0125 - Geographic number 0151 703 1749

2. The decision to use 0870 numbers for inbound Customer calls was
made by the Charity Commission Board in 1998 when we centralised all our
regional Customer help lines into one Customer Contact Centre.

Our records show that various contact options were considered but the
decision was taken to adopt the 0870 option because it was felt that "to
operate effectively the single number (to be used by Customers to
contact the Commission by telephone) should not be identified with a
particular geographic location.... The options were reviewed and it was
agreed to accept the recommendation for a non- geographically specific
single number, charged at a national rate."

The Commission has not received any rebate from our service provider in
respect of the use of these 0870 numbers.

It should be noted that the average cost of a Customer call via the 0870
number equates to under 20 pence, which is less than the cost of a 1ST
class UK stamp.

3. Your comment in respect of  the  need to consider the published
best practice guidance for Government Contact Centres is noted. This
guidance is being taken into consideration within the review of viable
alternatives to the use of 0870 contact numbers that is underway within
the Commission.  I will update you on the result of the review when it
is completed.

I trust that the above suitably answers your enquiry.

wrote on Jun 10^th, 2005 at 12:29pm:

The Commission has not received any rebate from our service provider in respect of the use of these 0870 numbers.

Why on earth not?