|
Radiocommunications Agency's Local Offices |
Note; This information sheet replaces RA 248 Local Offices Code of Practice.
Introduction
The Radiocommunications Agency has a network of eight local offices throughout the UK; five in England and one in each of the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Local office staff are the principal point of contact for many of our customers. They:
As well as providing local customer services, local staff are the enforcement arm of the Agency and aim to ensure that authorised users are able to enjoy the full benefits of their licences.
A full list of postal and email addresses with telephone and fax numbers is given on page 4.
Interference Priorities
We have limited resources and must therefore have clear priorities:
Our first priority is to deal with interference which could endanger the safety of life
Secondly we give priority to dealing with interference which could disrupt the running of businesses and services
We then deal with all other radio users' problems. Many users report suspected misuse of radio to us and these reports help us to target our regulatory and enforcement work efficiently.
Quality of Service
We abide by the principles of the Citizen's Charter, the Deregulation Unit Code for Enforcement Agencies and the Better Regulation Unit Enforcement Concordat. We publish annual quality of service targets including time scales for issuing licences and for dealing with complaints of interference. Performance against these targets is published in our annual report and accounts.
Business radio frequency assignment and licensing
Our staff use their technical skills and local knowledge of the area when making frequency assignments for customers.Our objective is to provide a prompt and efficient service that meets radio users' individual radio requirements and makes the best use of scarce radio spectrum. We do this by consultation and discussion with customers and representative organisations so that we understand the sort of service users need, such as the coverage area of transmissions.
Legislation
The use of radio is governed by the various Wireless Telegraphy, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Acts. Installation or use of radio is prohibited unless either an appropriate licence has been obtained or regulations exempt it from licensing (many short range radio devices, for example, have been exempted from licensing).
The purpose of the legislation is to ensure that radio users obtain the maximum benefit from radio and do not cause interference to each other.
Full details of the regulations governing the use of radio can be found in the information sheet 'Radio Users Guide to the Law' (RA 67). If you are in any doubt, we will be pleased to answer queries about whether particular radio equipment needs to have a licence.
Visits by local staff
Our local staff carry out a programme of inspections of radio installations as well as campaigns directed at particular categories of radio users to help and advise and to ensure that installations comply with licence requirements. When visiting, all our local staff carry personal identity cards with their names and photographs. Inspections are normally undertaken by prior appointment.
We try to minimise compliance costs
Our aim is to enforce the radio legislation sensitively so that compliance costs for licence holders, as well as our own costs, are kept as low as possible. Discrepancies will usually be dealt with by a warning given personally or by a conformity notice with a deadline for putting things right.
Enforcement – What happens if you don't comply?
Discrepancies may well mean interference to other services and serious or persistent licence breaches have to be tackled in the interests of other radio users. If discrepancies are not corrected following the issue of advice and conformity notices, or if the radio is being operated with complete disregard for other users, we must act. We have powers to search premises with a warrant and seize evidence and can prosecute and revoke licences. The maximum penalty for most offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act is two years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Equipment may also be ordered forfeit.
Other measures
Some equipment which does not meet the UK's planned frequency use and could cause serious interference is banned under Orders made under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967. These Orders cover sale, hire and advertisement and protect unwary customers from spending money on equipment they cannot legally use. We monitor sales outlets and can seize equipment as evidence for court proceedings and subsequent forfeiture. Current Orders cover cordless telephones, Citizens' Band equipment and videosenders.
Complaints
We do our best to satisfy our customers. If we sometimes slip from the high standard we set ourselves and a complaint does arise, we aim to deal with it courteously and promptly.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the work of the Agency's Local Offices, you are invited to take this up with the Director of the Agency's Customer Services Executive at Wyndham House (address as below). If you still remain dissatisfied, the Agency has a formal complaints procedure which is explained in the Agency's Charter document RA 387.
Consultation and communication
We are here to help and care deeply about the standard of service we offer to our customers. We enjoy close consultation links with customer and industry representative bodies. We are also committed to regular customer surveys to find out how satisfied customers are with all aspects of the services we provide, including the handling of complaints.
The Enforcement
Concordat, that the Agency has adopted, is a Government initiative to improve
regulatory services. These guidlines inform regulated businesses what they can
expect from enforcement offices. Copies of the Concordat can be obtained from
the Cabinet Office, Better Regulation Task Force, 2 Little Smith Street, London
SW1P 3DH, website:
http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regulation/publicsector/enforcement/enforcement.htm
Advice on interference
1. Commercial interference
Our local staff have a wealth of experience in dealing with difficult interference and reception problems. If you are a commercial user of radio and are having problems with your installation that your equipment supplier or service engineer cannot resolve, you may like to ask your local office if they can help. The local office will also inform you of the current hourly charge for this work.
In addition to local staff, we have a specialised Mobile Interference and EMC Laboratory which is UKAS accredited. Subject to priorities, the Laboratory team can investigate complex radio problems and offer consultancy on electromagnetic compatibility and screening questions on a commercial basis. The mobile laboratory can take measurements up to 40 GHz. There is a daily charge for the Laboratory team. If you would like to discuss this service further, please telephone: 01462 428543.
2. Domestic interference
Our local offices can also advise householders suffering interference to television and radio reception. We produce a helpful leaflet, RA 179 'Television and Radio Interference', which includes a form for requesting an investigation. A fixed charge of £50 is made for an investigation if the interference is found to be due to problems within the TV or radio installation.
Further information
Further copies of this leaflet, together with other Agency documents, including those mentioned above, can be obtained free of charge by telephoning our 24hr document service on Tel: 020 7211 0211, or by writing to:
The Library and
Information Service
The Radiocommunications
Agency
Wyndham House
189 Marsh Wall
London
E14
9SX
Fax: 020 7211 0507
email: library@ra.gsi.gov.uk
All Agency publications are also available on our website: www.radio.gov.uk
For further information on radio matters contact the Agency's 24 Hour Telephone Enquiry Point:
Tel: 020 7211 0211
Address List for Local Offices
Address List for Local Offices Our local staff are mainly engineers and their work takes them out of the office for much of the day. During normal office hours administrative staff will answer the Ôphone if possible but at times you may find that your call is taken by an answering machine. You may prefer to write to your local office at the address shown below:
Contact addresses, with the areas covered are as follows. Overleaf is a coloured map designed to show at a glance the post codes covered by each Region.
|
BD-Bradford; DH-Durham; DL-Darlington; DN-Doncaster; HD-Huddersfield; HG-Harrogate; HU-Hull; HX-Halifax; LN-Lincoln; LS-Leeds; NE-Newcastle; S-Sheffield; SR-Sunderland; TS-Cleveland; WF-Wakefield; YO-York. Radiocommunications
Agency BB-Blackburn; BL-Bolton; CA-Carlisle; CH-Chester; (English section); CW-Crewe; FY-Blackpool; L-Liverpool; LA-Lancaster; M-Manchester; OL-Oldham; PR-Preston; SK-Stockport; WA-Warrington; WN-Wigan. Radiocommunications
Agency BA-Bath; BH-Bournemouth; BS-Bristol; DT-Dorchester; EX-Exeter; GL-Gloucester; GU-Guildford; GY-Guernsey; JE-Jersey; OX-Oxford; PL-Plymouth; PO- Portsmouth; RG-Reading; SL-Slough; SN-Swindon, SO-Southampton, SP-Salisbury; TA-Taunton; TQ-Torquay; TR-Truro. |
|
B-Birmingham; CB-Cambridge; CV-Coventry; DE-Derby, DY-Dudley; HP-Hemel Hempstead; HR-Hereford; IP-Ipswich, LE-Leicester; LU-Luton; MK-Milton Keynes; NG-Nottingham, NN-Northampton; NR-Norwich; PE-Peterborough; ST-Stoke, SY-Shrewsbury (English section); TF-Telford; WR-Worcester; WS-Walsall; WV-Wolverhampton Radiocommunications
Agency
AL-StAlbans; BN-Brighton; BR-Bromley; CM-Chelmsford, CO-Colchester; CR-Croydon; CT-Canterbury; DA-Dartford, E-London East; EC-London East Central; EN-Enfield, HA-Harrow; IG-Ilford; KT-Kingston; ME-Medway; N-London North; NW-London North West; RH-Redhill; RM-Romford; SE-London South East; SG-Stevenage; SM-Sutton; SS-Southend, SW-London South West; TN-Tonbridge; TW-Twickenham, UB-Southall; W-London West; WC-London West Central, WD-Watford Radiocommunications
Agency
Radiocommunications
Agency
Radiocommunications
Agency
NORTHERN IRELAND & ISLE OF MAN
Radiocommunications Agency |
|
| RA 206 (Rev 17) September 2002 |
|
