Written question asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord De Mauley (Conservative) on Monday, 23 April 2012.

Insurance: Travel

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take against travel companies that charge rates above actual costs for telephone helpline services.

Answer: Travel companies operate in a competitive commercial market and have the freedom to set charges for helplines, to meet the needs of the company and their customers. There are a wide range of options available to companies in terms of tariffs, when deciding how much should be charged, to make information available to consumers through telephone helpline services. Numbering is an operational issue for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Ofcom is considering how charges for services, which include helplines that often use 08 number ranges, could be more clearly set out and improved. Ofcom put forward possible changes in its consultation of 16 December 2010 (http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/simplifying-non-geo-numbers) and it will present detailed proposals in a further consultation scheduled for the beginning of April. Ofcom intends to overhaul the charging of freephone (0800) numbers and other non-geographic ranges, including 084/087 numbers, whether calls to them are made from a landline or a mobile telephone. The intentions set out in December 2010 included the recommendation that 0800 calls should be available for no charge from fixed and mobile and that there should be clear pricing rules for revenue sharing ranges to allow price comparison between providers and restrict the ability of companies to exploit consumer confusion.

Secondary information