short visit EU citizen with partner - wrong info?

[ticsi]

Hello, I am a Dutch citizen, living with in the Netherlands with my Russian partner. We would like to visit the UK for 3 weeks as tourists.
Information on the UKVI website is not clear on what permit/visa he needs. Info on family permit suggests the non-EU citizen should join the EU citizenresiding permanently in the UK, visit visa is for third country citizens from outside EU. So I decided to call the information phone number, the new commercial partner (1,37 GBP per minute).
The gentleman suggested he needed to apply for a tourist visa, just like any Russian citizen.
This seems very strange to me as it is contrary to EU rules, restricting me in exercising my right of free movement inside the EU, I checked that on the internet.
Last time we visited the UK in 2012 he had to provide biometric data but we didn't have to pay and we had to prove we were partners. I checked his passport and indeed he had had a "visa EEA FP Family member" then.
Can somebody please confirm that the advisor was wrong? Can we just apply for a family permit also when I am not a UK resident, just a tourist? Or did they change the rules?
And what about the biometrics? Does he have to provide them again? The can still have them from 2 years ago, but they might not be allowed to keep them.
And how long does it take to apply? Thanks in advance.

[vinny]

You are correct. You and your wife have an initial right of residence for 3 months.

If a family member who is travelling with, or is to join the EEA national in the UK requests a visit visa under the Immigration Rules, you should offer him (or her) the option of applying for a family permit under EC law free of charge.

Biometrics will always be required again, just to confirm that the applicant is the passport holder.