Economy Secretary Keith Brown says tougher laws are needed to tackle nuisance calls

He said there should be additional powers to disqualify and fine directors to show it is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Published 12th Mar 2017

Mr Brown also believes there should be simpler and clearer ways for those bothered by nuisance calls to report them.

Research by Which? and Trading Standards Scotland showed Scots received more nuisance calls than elsewhere in the UK. It also found three of the top five cities which received the highest number of nuisance calls were Scottish.

The minister's demands come ahead of the Scottish Government's Nuisance Calls Commission on Wednesday, which will discuss regulatory enforcement.

Mr Brown said: ''I set up the commission last year to specifically tackle the growing problem of nuisance calls, which are disproportionately affecting Scotland.

We're already working with enforcement agencies, telecoms providers and the makers of call blocking technology to find practical solutions that will help people protect themselves and with business, to change the behaviour that leads to illegal calls in the first place.

However, more needs to be done. That is why I am calling on the UK Government to bring forward further powers to better protect consumers and punish offenders.

Although the regulation of nuisance calls remains a reserved issue, I also recognise the vast majority of UK regulators, UK businesses and people support the Scottish Government's desire for a system that better protects our citizens from this serious issue.

The people of Scotland deserve to see action being taken which recognises and responds to the seriousness of the problem.

That is why I will be bringing forward an action plan outlining the Commission's proposals for protecting consumers and reducing the impact of unwanted calls in the coming months.''