HOAX CALLERS

Early day motion 1763, tabled 16 October 2002 by Mark Tami (Labour). Signed by 78 members.

That this House notes that, according to the Department for Health, last year 70,000 hoax calls to ambulance services were made; further notes that figures produced by BT for the year 2000 indicated that as many as half of the five million calls made to emergency services were false, costing the tax payer in excess of ú32 million and endangering the lives of many people in need; believes that the current penalties for such offences of a maximum of six months imprisonment or a ú5,000 fine do not represent appropriate punishment for such a crime; further notes that in the 18 years since the Telecommunications Act was introduced, no hoax callers have been prosecuted under it; and calls on the Government to take a zero tolerance approach to hoax callers and calls for a review of sentencing policy to address this serious crime.

Signatures by party: Labour 54, Liberal Democrat 14, Labour/Co-operative 4, Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, DUP 1, UUP 1.