TELEPHONE QUEUES AND CALL WAITING SYSTEMS

Early day motion 478, tabled 9 January 2003 by John Pugh (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 56 members.

That this House recognises that telephoning queueing and call waiting systems are often a curse of modern times, represent an opportunity for cutting enquiry desk staff and inflicting on the public lengthy musical interludes and unconvincing apologies for delay, incur substantial additional telephone and time costs for the nation's businesses, consumers and institutions; contribute considerably to the profits made in the telecom industry, some of whose own lines are not immune from significant delay; and calls upon OFTEL and the Department of Trade and Industry to investigate the costs and abuses of telephone queueing and call waiting systems and to suggest mechanisms whereby consumers can be protected from or compensated for any entirely avoidable waste of time and money.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Liberal Democrat 17, Labour/Co-operative 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Conservative 1, UUP 1.