Assurances given over government nuisance calling

Assurances have been given on the issue of nuisance calling by the Scottish Government, after concerns were highlighted by Orkney MSP Liam McArthur.

The Orkney MSP wrote to Scottish Ministers highlighting the issue and has been assured by Kevin Stewart MSP, the Minister for Local Government and Housing, that Scottish Government schemes “do not rely on cold calling”.

The Minister added: “we certainly do not pay companies to engage any of those practices”.

Mr McArthur said he plans to seek similar commitments from the UK Government after local constituents raised concerns about calls regarding a government “boiler scrappage and replacement” scheme.

It is understood that the UK Government does have schemes which use cold calling, prompting Mr McArthur to take up the issue at a UK level.

Mr McArthur welcomed the assurances given by Mr Stewart but also renewed calls on the Scottish Government to publish an action plan on the next steps required to end nuisance calls.

Mr McArthur said: “Despite new initiatives over the years, nuisance phone calls continue to cause problems for many people. These calls are nothing short of harassment, particularly for the most vulnerable in our society, and more needs to be done to crack down on them.

“Government has a role to play in achieving this reduction, and certainly should not be doing anything to make the situation worse. While raising public awareness of government-backed schemes to help people fund improvements in home insulation or central heating systems is legitimate, it should not be allowed to add to the problems of nuisance calls.

He added: “These most recent incidents act as a reminder that further action is needed. For example, legislation to make accurate Caller Line Identification mandatory is long overdue. Not only would this allow people to screen calls, but also to report companies guilty of wrong doing.”