The Six Service Standards for Central Government

(the Whitehall Standards)

In serving you each government department and agency will aim to meet the six service standards for central government. The information below details how the DTI performed against each standard in 2003/04. This information excludes the performance by the Department's agencies and UK Trade & Investment, details of which are available in their own annual reports and accounts, copies of which can be found on their respective web-sites as follows:

Companies House - www.companies-house.gov.uk
Employment Tribunal Service - www.ets.gov.uk
The Insolvency Service - www.insolvency.gov.uk
National Weights and Measures Laboratory - www.nwml.gov.uk
The Patent Office - www.patent.gov.uk
The Small Business Service - www.sbs.gov.uk
UK Trade & Investment - www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk

Standards and Performance in 2003/04

Standard 1: Answer your letters quickly and clearly

Target: To reply to correspondence within 15 working days
Performance: 97.5%

Standard 2: To see you within 10 minutes of any appointments you have made

Target: 100%
Performance: 98.9%

Standard 3: To answer telephones quickly and helpfully

Target: To answer 95% of telephone calls within 15 seconds
Performance: 77%

(based on calls made to the central enquiry point)

Standard 4: Provide clear and straightforward information about the DTI's services and those of related providers, along with one or more telephone enquiry numbers and e-mail addresses to help you or put you in touch with someone who can.

The DTI operates a Central Enquiry Unit (information about DTI services is also available from the Government Offices for the Regions). A range of publications are available to the public via publications@dti website.  Publications can also be ordered by telephoning the DTI Publications Orderline on 0845 015 0010.  The DTI website provides extensive information about the Department including lists of current consultations, press notices, information on DTI activities in specific areas, industrial sectors etc. There are also links to other sites of interest. The website includes lists of contacts within the Department on specific issues.

Enquiry Unit's Telephone no. - 020-7215-5000
Enquiry Unit's Textphone no. - 020-7215-6740
Enquiry Unit's e-mail address - dti.enquiries@dti.gsi.gov.uk
DTI website - http://www.dti.gov.uk

DTI Publications Orderline:
telephone: 0845 015 0010
fax: 0845 015 0020
minicom: 0845 015 0030
e-mail: publications@dti.gsi.gov.uk
DTI Publications website - http://www.dti.gov.uk/publications/

Standard 5: To have a complaints procedure for the services provided and publicise it, including on the internet, and send you a copy if requested.

The DTI has a complaints procedure. Copies can be obtained via the relevant enquiry point or Publications Orderline (see standard 4) and can be viewed on the Department's website in English and Welsh.

Standard 6: Do everything reasonably possible to make its services available to everyone, including people with special needs. Consult users and potential users regularly about the service it provides and report the results.

The Department produces many publications that are available in languages other than English. The Enquiry Unit and DTI Publications Orderline can be contacted by Minicom (text phone). Customer satisfaction with the Publications Orderline is sampled monthly and test calls are made to the Enquiry Unit and Publications Orderline to test quality of service. Directorates in the Department have made arrangements for people with special needs in relation to seminars, interviews and publications.