FINANCIAL COST OF CONTACTING GOVERNMENT

Early day motion 1576, tabled 2 June 2009 by John Battle (Labour). Signed by 83 members.

That this House notes with concern the high cost of calls to Government helplines from mobile telephones; recognises that many people only have access to a mobile telephone and do not have a landline and therefore have no choice but to pay these high call costs; further notes the recent Citizens Advice Bureau report, Hung Up, which provided evidence from 65 citizens advice bureaux that many vulnerable and destitute people are unable to claim a crisis loan because of the expense of calling the Government freephone claim line on a mobile telephone; recognises that it is possible to make freephone numbers free to call from a mobile telephone, for example by registering the numbers with the Telephone Helplines Association; and calls on the Government urgently to ensure that its benefit claim lines, and in particular its crisis loans claim line, are made free to call from a mobile telephone.

Signatures by party: Labour 48, Liberal Democrat 22, DUP 4, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Conservative 2, Independent 2, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1.