LABOUR'S home affairs spokesman John McFall is calling on the Scottish

Office to instal digital telephone systems on emergency networks after

finding that 26,718 malicious calls were received by Scottish Fire

Brigades last year.

This was an increase of more than 4000 on the previous year. Digital

telephones record the number of the caller even before he begins to

speak.

Mr McFall expressed concern at the low detection rate and says that in

1992 only 61 prosecutions were brought before Scottish courts. Penalties

are often as little as #50.

He said yesterday: ''The Government has a responsibility to look at

ways in which the very low detection rates can be improved.