The industry reports some 20,000 mobile telephones stolen each month, and some 8,000 cloning instances occurring each month. I share the concern of my noble friend Lady Dean that the telephone companies themselves must take some action. As digital systems take over from analogue, perhaps more safety devices can be built into the new mobile telephones. I agree that public awareness will help. The fraud on fixed telephone lines is committed by hacking or by teeing-in.
Some people see hacking as a prank.
Telephone hacking is nothing of the kind. Telephone bills are inflated by many thousands of pounds. As we were told by the noble Lord, those crimes and that equipment were not envisaged when the 1984 Act was prepared. So we welcome this amendment which makes the supply, possession and use of that equipment a criminal offence. I agree that in the communications industry criminal sophistication seems to keep pace with technical sophistication.