Custody calls should be national: Scullion

The indigenous affairs minister wants all Australian jurisdictions to adopt a NSW custody notification service used for Indigenous people who have been arrested.

Western Australia is looking at introducing the service, which costs half a million dollars to run per year and is credited with reducing deaths in custody.

"The evidence is over 15 years, now some 300 calls a day over a 24-hour period have resulted in no deaths in custody," Senator Nigel Scullion said.

"I will be looking for conversations with the remaining states and territories about how they wish to proceed. Any death in custody is one death too (many)."