HC Deb 26 February 2001 vol 363 cc483-4W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in each of the last five years in the Metropolitan Police area have been(a) prosecuted and (b) cautioned for making hoax 999 calls. [150959]

Males over 65 years of age and females over 60 years of age sentenced to a community sentence by type of sentence, at all courts England and Wales 1998–99
Type of sentence
Sex, age and year Probation order Community service order Combination order Curfew order Other order Total
Males aged more than 65
1998 153 36 11 2 0 202
1999 147 53 8 1 0 209
Females aged more than 60
1998 32 5 4 0 0 41
1999 44 11 6 2 0 63

Mr. Charles Clarke

Hoax 999 calls fall within section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that where an individual is identified as a "persistent 999 hoax caller" the normal practice is for the Metropolitan Police Service to pass the details of the calls and caller to the service providers, who then deal with the case individually.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Metropolitan Police log the telephone numbers of callers to the 999 service. [150958]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has informed me that when a 999 call is received at New Scotland Yard, an entry is made on the Computer Aided Despatch System and the telephone number recorded on the entry.