§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the current penalties are for malicious calls to emergency services; and what plans he has to increase the penalties. [110314]
§ Ms HewittI have been asked to reply.
The penalties for malicious calls to the emergency services, as to any other party, are a maximum fine of £5,000, level 5 on the standard scale, or six months' imprisonment, under section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 as amended by section 92 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Currently there are no plans to increase these. The penalties came into force on 3 February 1995, and include the option of a custodial sentence for the first time.