02089564065

After reading on their site that the speaker of the house of commons allegedly keeps a copy with him at all times (or something equally fanciful) - I contacted the House of Commons directly to inform them of this company. Below is their response, they are obviously aware of them... Note: "this organisation is completely unaffiliated with the Houses of Parliament... the term "Parliamentary Information Office/Service" cannot be trademarked, and therefore we cannot prevent Blakes from using it."

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Thank you for your e-mail concerning the "Parliamentary Information Office/Parliamentary Information Service".

As you are aware, this organisation is completely unaffiliated with the Houses of Parliament, but works for a publishing company called Blakes, which produces a Parliamentary Yearbook. I have attached a link to their website below:

- http://www.blakesparliamentaryyearbook.co.uk

This is a legitimate publication, although unofficial.  The term "Parliamentary Information Office/Service" cannot be trademarked, and therefore we cannot prevent Blakes from using it.

If you feel you have been mislead, you can contact the Trading Standards Institute. Their website address is as follows:

- http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/

House of Commons Information Office

Had a call this morning form Keith Henshaw 0208 9564110 Wanting to speak to the MD - Excellence in Agriculture. I check the number and found the result it very interesting reading. Thanks

We had a call from William Henshaw who phoned a few days ago, got the MD's name and then called back saying he could only speak directly to him as it was "ministerial protocol" and involved ministers!

A brilliant expose, Smiffy!

You wit has tempered my anger at the time wasted by trying to fend off these guys

A Queen's Award- indeed!

A Peter Moon rang us and stated he was from the Parliamentary Information Office. It seems we are now entering the planetary realm with the names - see Smiffy's piece Jan 2012.

I too have just taken a call from aforementioned Peter Moon. Wanted to speak to my boss, the MD about a goverment initiative on excellence in recruitment no less. Good news he said! Very well spoken man but wouldn't give me any information apart from his phone number 0208 956 4110. Needless to say will not be passing on these details. All power to the search engine!

Sadly my employer was caught by this scam - they got through to a director who thought it was a genuine government call relating to the contract we were working on. We ended up paying about £3,000 for a non existent article despite cancelling immediately we realised we'd been had.

The directors behind Blake are David Blake and Judith Briers. Both were previously disqualified by Companies House as 'unfit directors of insolvent companies'. Our lawyers advised us that they must have been seriously naughty because only a tiny number of deviant directors are actually disqualified.

They have a history of selling advertising space in publications of doubtful circulation by misleading the public to think they've been selected on merit to write a prestigious editorial.

The cold call is followed immediately by an order confirmation & the trap is sprung. They then have a well rehearsed (& morally bankrupt) debt collection routine. It was headed by a Dinker Navsaria when they got us.

Had two messages left by my colleagues toda for me to call Catherine Renwick from the Parliamentary Information Office on 020 8956 4110 -It is regarding a Government initiative to do with excellence in the Beauty industry

I've been around screening calls for my MD for too long, had similar calls from them a few months back regarding a Government Initiative on Pensions!!!!

They certainly won't get through to my MD.  Do these call center people get elocution lessons - before putting my call through to Catherine Renwick the guy answering the phone asked me " would you mind awfully confirming which company you are from you must appreciate this is highly sensitive information"¬!!!!

They can get on their bikes

had a call from WILLIAM HENSHAW today he was very charming and said that i was selected as a sucessful farmer and an ambassador i was taken in by all his talk and he said he wanted me to write an article for the suposed book but i would have to pay £2750 for the privilage at this point i thought it was a bit strange for the government to be asking me for money so i researched WILLIAM HENSHAW and found this site so thanks everyone luckly i havent handed over money but i have let my local news paper know about the convasation and they were very interested about it so lets see what happens!

Yes, "Willam Henshaw" busy again today. Rang us 'cos of our record of "excellence in farming," (Ha Ha!) and asked for £2750 to write a piece for the Parliamentary Yearbook, leather bound, gold lettering etc. Only 6 farmers could be asked - we were the  6th - even though the call centre was in full operation in the background.

Thank goodness for the internet, and this site.

Similar call today from Grace Brooks from Parliamentary Information Office. The clue is in obvious call centre noise in background and unwillingness to get to the point. Very used to these calls though wish my staff were too so they didn't put them through to me...

I said since they have my details could they please post info to us and if interested we would revert. That always throws them, since of course they cannot/will not do that.

Watch out for her name.

Received a call this morning from Suzanna MacIntosh on 0208 956 4110.  She claimed to be calling on behalf of Jeremy Hunt MP.  When I questionned the nature of the call, I was told that this is highly confidential owing to ministerial involvement and could only be discussed with our Chairman.

I advised her that she would need to provide me with more information in order to speak with our Chairman.  Her response to this was "I am sorry but I am a very busy person".  I replied "...and so is our Chairman".

I took her number and googled it.  I am amazed at the cheek of these people!

Had a call from Grace Brooks saying she was calling about a government intitiative on excellence in the catering industry.

As I knew about the Partliamentary Information Office already I asked her what her affiliation was with Blakes and whether she knew that her directors had previously been banned from holding compnay directorships.

Suffice to say she hung up pretty smartish.

Had a call on Friday afternoon from 020 8956 4110 - this time to do with some nonsense about focusing on excellence - I sweetly told the called that I'd pass a message on to my MD - not,  They can keep calling but WILL NOT get past me to speak to anyone else!  Timewasters..

Having lived in America where marketing calls excessively abound, I have learnt to be on my guard for any unsolicited unfamiliar callers. So when the other day I got a written message from our office manager that one Grace Brooks from Parliamentary Office Information had called, my antennae were already up. Having attended some meetings in  Parliament some time ago, I initially thought that the call was some kind of follow up. When the lady called mr again, she ranted instead of talking, on and on about my ridiculous things like me having been chosen for an Excellence Award, and I instantly knew it was a marketing con. I asked her to send me an email on what she was saying but she said they are  not allowed to send emails! unfortunately she did not do it intelligently at all and am surprised that there are people that believe such stories, even to the point of paying money!

Anyway, I put her phone down promptly with no further ceremonies.

I've now had two telephone calls from a Max Boulder of the PIO.  My boss suggested I Googled them and then I found you!

We won't be calling back and they certainly won't be getting through to the Chief Exec!

Thanks for the site chaps!

Julie

Charles Hudson called me - the 2013 Parliamentary Yearbook will be heavily skewed towards the oil and gas sector and they have selected six companies to deliver their message to the 10,000 copies that will be distributed ......... blah, blah, blah, bs
I asked who were the other 5 - apparently they have only signed up 6 so far - Core Oil & Gas, Parkmead Group, Oldham Engineering, Premier Oil.
I questioned their authenticity - they work on behalf of the UK government

well that just about sums it all up

I got the same "we already have 5 signed up" line - lucky six eh..having viewed this site I sent the very well spoken Diana Henley packing with a flee in her ear.

Thanks to all who contributed.

Been receiving calls from 'Oliver' at The Parliamentary Information Office for a few weeks now. It was the fake 'stereotypical' posh British accent that has amused me. The exact same tactics used as publicservice.co.uk
They aint getting through!
02089564110

I too have had a call from the well spoken William Henshaw.  He rang last year and I fobbed him off as it sounded like a (very believable) scam.  The man has rang again Jan 2013.  Suspicious I googled is name after looking at the Parliamentary Information Office website.  No cost has been mentioned to date.  He knew about my business, where do these people get their info from!!  I now know I can get rid of his call when he phones back.  Thank goodness people share a little information of this sort on the internet.