LLA in the press: Fury as 311 MPs refuse to give phone numbers

House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been urged to intervene after it emerged more than 300 MPs are refusing to provide phone numbers allowing constituents to contact them. Every MP is given a page on the House of Commons website to provide contact information and this usually includes a phone number for their Commons office, where they are provided with a taxpayer-funded landline.

But an investigation found 311 MPs do not publicly list either a Westminster or constituency number. The inquiry looked at both the official Commons website and the personal websites of MPs. It follows concern about increasing levels of abuse aimed at MPs and their staff, who are likely to be the ones answering the phone. But campaigners say it denies constituents the chance to raise concerns with their elected representatives – with older people the most affected, because they are less likely to use other means of communication such as email.

Later Life Ambitions, which has 250,000 members, warned that an estimated 1.6million people in the UK do not use the internet. The Government’s own Digital Inclusion Action Plan includes a warning that a quarter of the UK population is likely to struggle to use online services.

In a letter to Sir Lindsay, the campaign group said: “Age remains one of the most significant predictors of digital exclusion, with around 31% of people over 65 not using the internet at home. However, this is not just an issue for older people, and there are a number of additional factors linked to the digital divide in the UK, including socioeconomic status, region and whether a person has a disability.

“We urge you to explore the reasons behind this issue and to rectify it at the earliest opportunity. The principle that constituents ought to be able to raise issues regardless of their access to the internet should be well understood by members, and appropriate services should be available in the House.”

The Speaker’s office said he would not comment on private correspondence. Commons authorities say MPs are asked which contact details they want to make public on official web pages. Members are not required to provide specific addresses or phone numbers. This policy has been in place for several years and is not a recent change, authorities said.