The mandarins who just want to clock off

In response to your article revealing that Westminster staff made 2,000 calls to the Speaking Clock, our clever civil servants are not interested in finding out the correct time at all.

They realise that ringing the Speaking Clock will tie up their phone lines and prevent any interruption from incoming calls, especially in the last half-hour of business, thereby ensuring they can leave work on time with all of our/their problems resolved.

Roy Russell, Leamington Spa