 | 'Torycide is not a crime but a civic duty in Scotland.' Robbie the Pict. |  |
| 'Torycide is not a crime but a civic duty in Scotland.' Robbie the Pict. | |
The freephone line (08000 274727) will operate as part of the Government's public information campaign and is being managed by Edinburgh-based Replyline Ltd.
Mr Chris Dempsey, of the Scottish Office Information Directorate, said yesterday that with Scotland on the threshold of having its first Parliament in almost 300 years, it was important that the public had access to a wide range of sources of information. This included television and newspapers, a leaflet drop and the Internet.
He added: "A telephone hotline which provides an efficient source of information is essential so the public can keep abreast of what is happening. At the same time it is critical to ensure that any service we provide offers value for money to taxpayers."
Ms Jane Gilburt, Replyline's managing director, said the technology they were using allowed them to deal with callers as individuals identifying them as soon as the call was received. The caller's details, call history and previous enquiries were all displayed on the screen. In addition callers could be transferred to the relevant department or expert without fuss or confusion.
As well as English and Gaelic, information is available in ethnic minority languages such as Cantonese, Punjbi, Gujurati and Urdu. It is also available in braille, audio tape and large printed format. - Feb 24
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