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101 to be the New Single Non-Emergency Number

8 March 2006

101 was today confirmed as the new telephone number for the public to secure advice and action on community safety and anti-social behaviour issues.

The service is designed to improve the delivery of non-emergency services by ensuring a better co-ordinated response by local agencies, while freeing up the 999 service to handle emergency incidents.

It will be provided by local authorities and police forces working together to deliver services and handle calls. The new three-digit number will initially be launched in five ‘Wave 1’ areas this summer and will be rolled out across England and Wales by 2008.

The 101 service has been set up to give the public direct access to the services they want. The initial scope of the service has been developed through research with the general public, and in consultation with local authority and police force partnerships.

The core service will cover:

• Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property;
• Noisy neighbours;
• Intimidation and harassment;
• Abandoned vehicles;
• Rubbish and litter, including fly tipping;
• People being drunk or rowdy in public places;
• Drug related anti-social behaviour and
• Street lighting.

Following wide consultation with stakeholders, industry and experts and research with the general public, it has been decided that calls to 101 will be charged at a fixed rate of ten pence per call whether from landlines or mobiles.

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said:

"In 2004 there were around 10 million calls to the 999 emergency service, around 70 per cent of which were not emergencies. The Single Non-Emergency Number service will operate around-the-clock and put callers directly in touch with specially trained operators for information and advice on non-emergency matters.

"Vandalism, graffiti, dumped rubbish, fly-tipping, abandoned cars, relentless noise and nuisance neighbours all have a long-lasting and corrosive effect on the quality of people's lives. The SNEN represents significant new investment to strengthen community engagement and tackle the anti-social behaviour that blights local communities.

"This will mean that 999 services can function more effectively and provide a faster response to emergency incidents."

Notes to Editors:

1. SNEN operators will deal with enquiries over the phone by giving advice and information where needed, arranging for action to be taken when appropriate or by directing the caller to a person or organisation who can help them.
2. SNEN will work alongside 999 - SNEN operators will be able to direct callers to the 999 emergency service if the call needs an emergency response.
3. The Government made a commitment to introduce the SNEN in its 2005 Election Manifesto, as one of a package of measures to improve community safety set out in the Police Reform White Paper Building Communities, Beating Crime (November 2004).
4. The first wave involves partnerships between police forces and local authorities in the Hampshire Police force area, Northumbria Police force area, Cardiff in South Wales, Sheffield in South Yorkshire and Leicester City & Rutland County in Leicestershire.

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