More
than £14,000 of taxpayers’ money has been spent phoning the speaking clock over the past five years, the Scottish Conservatives have revealed. Councils, health
boards and the Scottish Government all spent public money ringing the 123
number since 2008/9.
The
problem is getting worse, with last year totalling a record high of £5,437 – a
more than six-fold increase from five years ago. Some organisations have put a
block on the number, with the Scottish Conservatives calling on others to do
the same.The
Freedom of Information request revealed local authorities have spent £12,947 in
the last five years calling the speaking clock, while health boards have
amassed £1,551 worth of calls.
I
was disappointed to discover that Dundee City Council is on the list having
spent £63.75 in 2012-13, with figures for previous years not available. Since receiving
this information I have contacted the council’s Chief Executive requesting confirmation
that the speaking clock number has now been blocked from all council land lines
and mobiles.
Even
the Scottish Government has recorded use of the number, spending £30.78 since
2008/9. The true figure is likely to be far higher with some councils and NHS
boards unable to provide the information. Among
the councils, the biggest spenders were North Ayrshire (£2,206), while NHS
Lanarkshire spent the most among health boards. Worryingly,
the total of £5,437 in 2012/13 was at least £2,000 higher than any of the
previous years. According
to BT, it costs 31p to call the speaking clock from a landline telephone.
Scottish
Conservative chief whip John Lamont MSP said: “The total amount may be small in comparison
to overall public budgets, but it’s still a hideous waste of money. With clocks
on mobile phones and computers, there has never been less of a need to call the
speaking clock. Yet it seems to be occurring more and more, and it beggars
belief that more councils and health boards have not put a block on this. If
staff are calling 123 as a distraction tactic when the boss is around, that’s
even more inexcusable.
“This waste of taxpayers’ money is the sort of thing that infuriates the public, and undermines savings being made elsewhere in these organisations. The worst offenders have to explain why this is happening so frequently, and what action is going to be taken to address it.”
“This waste of taxpayers’ money is the sort of thing that infuriates the public, and undermines savings being made elsewhere in these organisations. The worst offenders have to explain why this is happening so frequently, and what action is going to be taken to address it.”
