On 2 December 2010 we published a consultation entitled "Changes to the Numbering Plan Addendum - A proposal for modifications to the Numbering Application Forms to facilitate the increase in VAT from January 2011" ("the December 2010 consultation"). This document was issued to address an omission from the earlier consultation "Changes to the Numbering Plan - A proposal for modifications to the National Telephone Numbering Plan to facilitate the increase in VAT from January 2011" published on 22 October 2010 ("the October 2010 consultation").
The October 2010 consultation proposed changes to the way the prices of calls to 0843/4, 0871/2/3 and 09 numbers are designated in the National Telephone Numbering Plan ("the Plan"). This was so that the increase in VAT that came into force on 4 January 2011 could be applied to the retail prices of calls to those numbers where the maximum call prices were given in the Plan as inclusive of VAT. In making the proposal however, we omitted to consult, at the time, on changes to example prices contained in the Numbering Application Forms ("the Forms") to reflect the increased level of VAT. The December 2010 consultation set out how the prices given in the Forms should be shown as exclusive rather than inclusive of VAT.
The proposals in the October 2010 consultation were confirmed on 20 December 2010 in a combined statement which also implemented a number of other changes to the Plan. This statement was entitled "Telephone Numbering - Modifications to the National Telephone Numbering Plan, General Condition 17, the Premium Rate Services Condition and the telephone number application forms within existing numbering policy and to facilitate the increase in VAT from January 2011" (the Numbering statement") and our decisions in regard to facilitating the VAT increase were set out in Sections 4 and 5 and Annexes 4 and 6 of that document.
We received no responses to the December consultation and so it now remains for us to confirm the resultant changes to the Forms in this final statement on the matter.
We note that the Numbering statement which followed the December 2010 consultation made a number of changes to the prices used in the Forms as examples to assist communications providers in preparing their applications for numbers. As a consequence the changes to the example prices consulted upon in December differ from those now used in the Forms. However, as these changes only apply to example prices, we do not consider the differences to be material to the underlying question set out in December 2010 consultation. Accordingly, the modifications to the Forms set out in this statement are made with reference to the prices in the Forms attached to the Numbering Statement, rather than those contained in the December 2010 consultation.