Conservatives welcome tougher action on hoax 999 callers

Scottish Conservatives have welcomed the updated guidance issued to prosecutors across Scotland, setting out a strong presumption in favour of prosecution of those who make false alarm calls to the police, fire or ambulance services.

Scottish Conservatives revealed the figures and called on Scottish Ministers to review the situation in the Scottish Parliament on 9 December.

Dr Nanette Milne MSP, Shadow Minister for Public Health, said:

"I welcome the updated guidance issued to prosecutors across Scotland, which sees out a strong presumption in favour of prosecution for those mindless people who make hoax calls to our emergency services.

"The fact is the level of prosecution is nowhere near the level of hoax calls being made in Scotland. I very much welcome the fact that Scottish Minsters have once again listened to the Scottish Conservatives and taken our advice.

"Our emergency workers are unsung heroes and any attempt to waste their time and resources must not be tolerated."

1) Below is the link to Nanette Milne's original PQ which raised this issue

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/default.aspx?pq=S3W-37420

2) The Solicitor General today said: "Make no mistake - it is a criminal offence to make hoax calls to the emergency services, and where there is sufficient evidence, there is a strong presumption in favour of prosecuting. If convicted, the courts have the powers to impose a sentence of imprisonment. When people's lives depend on these precious resources, hoax calls are no laughing matter."

3) Please find attached the transcript from Justice and Law Officers questions on 9 December.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con):

4. To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the total cost to the emergency services from hoax calls received in each year since 2007. (S3O-12242)

The Minister for Community Safety (Fergus Ewing): Assessment of the cost of hoax calls to the emergency services is a matter for individual services, and information is not held centrally. It is likely that any costs will vary depending on the circumstance of the call. Hoax calls divert services from dealing with real emergencies, and the Scottish Government continues to support the emergency services in their efforts to reduce the number of hoax calls.

Nanette Milne: The response to a written question on the number of people prosecuted for making hoax emergency calls indicates that only 26 people were prosecuted last year out of a total of 3,267 hoax calls received. I agree that our emergency workers are unsung heroes and that any attempt to waste their time and resources must not be tolerated. Given the likely considerable cost to our services, what action can be taken to ensure that those who make hoax calls are held to account and face prosecution when appropriate?

Fergus Ewing: Hoax calls to our emergency services waste vital time. If a fire appliance is misdirected to a bogus call, for example, the appliance could be diverted from vital life-saving action in a real emergency. That is why the issue is so important.

Like members throughout the chamber, the member will be aware that hoax callers tend not to give their name and address. It is therefore scarcely a surprise that it is not easy—particularly when the hoax call is made from a public telephone box—to identify someone who hides, in a cowardly way, behind the cloak of anonymity.

However, having looked into this serious matter, I understand that 80 per cent of cases that are reported to the procurator fiscal are prosecuted and there is a high conviction rate. I have confirmed with my colleagues in the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General's department that it is taken extremely seriously.

I am pleased to say that, in the past few years, there has been a significant reduction in the number of hoax calls and malicious calls that are made both to the fire services and to the police, which are treated differently under the law on those two emergency services. The reduction is due not least to fire safety campaigns and campaigns such as Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service's cool down crew initiative, which make young people aware of the utter folly of hoax calls and the potentially serious risk that they create in our country.

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