How times, and expectations change:

I used to phone some government departments where the
switchboard would only connect you after you stated
the name, extension number and department correctly:
Anything else and they would cut the call.

One establishment – based outside London – had a
better ploy: Their phone was answered by a harassed
sounding woman who spoke with a local accent, and gave
only their phone number;

There was always what sounded like a washing-machine
running in the background. You got the impression that
this “ordinary housewife” had been hanging out the
washing and had rushed inside to answer the phone!

Once past this, they had a modern phone system.
However, their budgeting officer banned staff from
making many outgoing or return phone calls so you had
to keep phoning until your contact answered.

Apologies to Richard that his comment got snagged in some anti-spam “you can only comment once every 3600 seconds” trick. Wholly unintentional – we’ll try to resolve.

By linking to Directgov you are deemed to have signed up to the terms and conditions.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out what happens if you used the helpful feedback link to refuse agreement to the T&Cs…

Information, help and terms and conditions for linking to the Directgov website. Directgov welcomes and encourages other websites to link to it as the main UK central government website. By linking to Directgov you are deemed to have signed up to the terms and conditions.
Text links to Directgov

If you wish to use text to link to Directgov, you should describe Directgov in this way:

Directgov – public services all in one place

You can use the following source code for this link
Association with Directgov – You should not seek to associate Directgov with your site or any non-Directgov content. Nor should you suggest any endorsement or approval by Directgov of you, your website or any non-Directgov product or content.

Framing and context of Directgov content – We do not permit our pages to be loaded into frames on your site. Our pages must load into a user’s entire window. Nor should you insert any graphic into, or play audio content over, Directgov content, nor allow a pop-up to appear simultaneously with Directgov content.

Restrictions on sites which can link to Directgov – We do not permit a website to link to Directgov if it contains material which is libellous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene, or is in any way a breach of the laws of England and Wales or infringes any third party intellectual property rights.

Removal of links – If we contact you to remove your links to Directgov, you must do so immediately.

Cripes. Did they sliip that into one of the anti-terror laws somewhere? Does it work the other way round? If a generally law-abiding taxpayer tells DirectGov to stop telling us to drink tap water or how to tow our caravans that DirectGov must do so immediately? After all, we pay for what they do. They don’t pay or what we do. They are the servant, and we the master.

Then there’s a sort of feedback thingy if you want even more bossy instructions

Further information on linking- If you need any further information about linking to Directgov please contact us through the link below.

Now there’s an invitation. What more about linking to DirectGov could one possibly ask?

Should you wish to notify us of any required changes please contact the Government Online Directory feedback facility on this site.

. I feel we’re on the same side; I want to help them get it right.