Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Government Agency Helplines: Response Times

Thursday 22 June 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government acknowledges the frustration of constituents when waiting on government agency helplines.
  • Each government department is responsible for managing its own helpline response times.
  • HMRC has shut down its busy self-assessment helpline over the summer.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Philip Hollobone Con
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The MP is concerned about the long wait times and poor service on government agency helplines, affecting constituents' ability to receive timely assistance.

Question

I am concerned about the frustration my constituents feel when waiting on government agency helplines. Will the Government take steps with Cabinet colleagues to improve response times?

Answer from Alex Burghart

We know the frustration that my hon. Friend's constituents, and indeed all constituents, feel when they are kept waiting on helplines. Departmental helplines are not managed or run centrally, and therefore each Department is responsible for its own helplines and for response times and waiting times. However, I know His Majesty's Revenue and Customs has recognised that its customer services have not been good enough recently and is taking steps to improve them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific commitment or timeline from the Cabinet to address the issue across all departments.

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Q2 Philip Hollobone Con
Taxation
Context

With a high percentage of HMRC staff working remotely and long wait times on helplines, the MP is concerned about the quality of service provided by HMRC, particularly during the busy self-assessment period.

Question

Two thirds of HMRC staff are currently working from home. HMRC takes more than 20 minutes to answer calls on average, and has shut down its busy self-assessment helpline over the summer. Will my hon. Friend take action, together with His Majesty's Treasury, to address the presently appalling level of customer service at HMRC?

Answer from Alex Burghart

I am sure my colleagues in HMRC will have heard my hon. Friend's comments.

Not addressed: Did not address any specific actions or commitments to improve HMRC's customer service.

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