Nuisance calls summit

Scotland is holding its first ever summit on tackling the issue of nuisance calls – in a bid to address the higher number of problem calls received here compared to the rest of the UK.

Evidence shows that Scots registered with call blockers are being targeted by 37 unwanted calls every month – 11 more than their counterparts in other parts of the UK. At best nuisance calls can be an irritant; at worst they can be a blight on the lives of some of the most vulnerable in society.

Recognising the severity of the issue, the Scottish Government is bringing together experts with the joint aim of ending the scourge of nuisance calls.

Opening the summit, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown said:

“Too many Scots are plagued by nuisance calls and it is time this stopped. The Scottish Government takes this issue extremely seriously and that’s why we have called this summit. I want to see everyone round the table – regulators, consumer groups and industry - working together to clamp down on this problem.

“We will use our new consumer powers as a catalyst to protect Scots from the blight of these unwelcome calls. We look forward to putting a taskforce in place to focus on practical ways of empowering and protecting consumers. With some key powers also remaining reserved to Westminster, we will also be considering what more the UK Government could do, and how we best work with them to take concerted action.”

Which? will be among the key contributors to the Summit – presenting a wealth of research into the specific problems faced by Scots when it comes to nuisance calls.