Britain's government is making millions by encouraging people to call expensive 0870 numbers - which can cost twice as much as a national-rate call - when they need help.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the Driving Standards Agency made £1.5m from this device last year, while the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency made £1.3m. The Home Office, even the police, the Environment Agency, the Land Registry, and dozens of other government bodies use the 0870 numbers.

But opposition to these numbers is growing. People were outraged when an 0870 number was used as the helpline for people enquiring about the recent London bombings: though the authorities said this was actually the best mechanism to handle the many hundreds of calls that came in. The Department of Health banned family doctors from using income-generating numbers this year, though it still uses one for its NHS Response Unit.

However, it’s remarkable that the public should be charged for calling to get information to which they are entitled anyway, and which they pay for through taxation. Well, maybe not so remarkable. Just another stealth tax.