Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0845, (b) 0844 and (c) 0843 his Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls each such number has received in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at BT local rates are available in each such case.

Core Defra provides three telephones lines with the prefix 0845 operated under contract by an external provider. Alternative numbers charged at BT local rates, using the prefix 0345, are available for all three lines and are the primary numbers. 0845 prefix numbers have been retained in order to minimise disruption to users during the transition to 0345 prefixed lines.

Information on the number of calls each number has received in the last 12 months will be placed in the Library of the House.