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1145628

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of nuisance calls.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290312
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) takes the lead in tackling unsolicited live direct marketing calls and automated marketing message calls through its responsibility for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at <a href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/" target="_blank">https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/</a>.</p><p>The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and, in respect of nuisance calls, its focus is primarily on abandoned and silent calls. Ofcom will be releasing its most recent statistics following its nuisance calls consumer survey later this month. Information on this is available on its website at <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home" target="_blank">ofcom.org.uk</a></p><p>The Government has been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work with regulators and industry on practical solutions to this problem. The Government has taken a range of recent actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls. The Government has banned cold calls from personal injury firms and pensions providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. The Government has also introduced director liability for nuisance calls, meaning that the ICO can impose a fine of up to £500,00 on a company, its directors, or both where it establishes a breach has occurred (previously, only the company could be fined). This measure has enhanced the ICO’s regulatory effectiveness by raising the issue of unsolicited marketing at board level. The Government is also funding National Trading Standards to install call blocking devices in the homes of vulnerable people.</p><p>The ICO has a dedicated team to investigate organisations making nuisance calls and take action when evidence supports enforcement action. The ICO has a joint action plan with Ofcom for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO also works closely with the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit and the National Crime Agency to share intelligence and deter and penalize organisations and individuals responsible for the harm caused by nuisance calls. The ICO works with the Insolvency Service to ensure as much of the monetary penalties issued to those that are in breach of the rules is recovered.</p><p>The ICO has arrangements with other countries to share information and intelligence about organisations potentially contravening UK law, including the PECR. It makes referrals to those countries where it identifies organisations making unlawful calls to UK subscribers, and has a number of such investigations ongoing at the present time. The ICO will continue to work with its counterparts including in countries where large numbers of nuisance calls are being made to the UK, in order to identify the offenders and solutions to the problem.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290311 290313 290314 question first answered 01/10/2019 13:12:04 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145629

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proactive investigative capacity exists to support enforcement of laws against nuisance calling and associated business practices.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290313
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) takes the lead in tackling unsolicited live direct marketing calls and automated marketing message calls through its responsibility for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at <a href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/" target="_blank">https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/</a>.</p><p>The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and, in respect of nuisance calls, its focus is primarily on abandoned and silent calls. Ofcom will be releasing its most recent statistics following its nuisance calls consumer survey later this month. Information on this is available on its website at <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home" target="_blank">ofcom.org.uk</a></p><p>The Government has been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work with regulators and industry on practical solutions to this problem. The Government has taken a range of recent actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls. The Government has banned cold calls from personal injury firms and pensions providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. The Government has also introduced director liability for nuisance calls, meaning that the ICO can impose a fine of up to £500,00 on a company, its directors, or both where it establishes a breach has occurred (previously, only the company could be fined). This measure has enhanced the ICO’s regulatory effectiveness by raising the issue of unsolicited marketing at board level. The Government is also funding National Trading Standards to install call blocking devices in the homes of vulnerable people.</p><p>The ICO has a dedicated team to investigate organisations making nuisance calls and take action when evidence supports enforcement action. The ICO has a joint action plan with Ofcom for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO also works closely with the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit and the National Crime Agency to share intelligence and deter and penalize organisations and individuals responsible for the harm caused by nuisance calls. The ICO works with the Insolvency Service to ensure as much of the monetary penalties issued to those that are in breach of the rules is recovered.</p><p>The ICO has arrangements with other countries to share information and intelligence about organisations potentially contravening UK law, including the PECR. It makes referrals to those countries where it identifies organisations making unlawful calls to UK subscribers, and has a number of such investigations ongoing at the present time. The ICO will continue to work with its counterparts including in countries where large numbers of nuisance calls are being made to the UK, in order to identify the offenders and solutions to the problem.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290311 290312 290314 question first answered 01/10/2019 13:12:04 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1145631

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to (a) identify countries that are hotspots of illegal nuisance calling to the UK and associated business activity and (b) improve collaboration with regulators and other investigative and enforcement authorities in those countries.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	290314
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) takes the lead in tackling unsolicited live direct marketing calls and automated marketing message calls through its responsibility for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at <a href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/" target="_blank">https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/</a>.</p><p>The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and, in respect of nuisance calls, its focus is primarily on abandoned and silent calls. Ofcom will be releasing its most recent statistics following its nuisance calls consumer survey later this month. Information on this is available on its website at <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home" target="_blank">ofcom.org.uk</a></p><p>The Government has been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work with regulators and industry on practical solutions to this problem. The Government has taken a range of recent actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls. The Government has banned cold calls from personal injury firms and pensions providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. The Government has also introduced director liability for nuisance calls, meaning that the ICO can impose a fine of up to £500,00 on a company, its directors, or both where it establishes a breach has occurred (previously, only the company could be fined). This measure has enhanced the ICO’s regulatory effectiveness by raising the issue of unsolicited marketing at board level. The Government is also funding National Trading Standards to install call blocking devices in the homes of vulnerable people.</p><p>The ICO has a dedicated team to investigate organisations making nuisance calls and take action when evidence supports enforcement action. The ICO has a joint action plan with Ofcom for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO also works closely with the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit and the National Crime Agency to share intelligence and deter and penalize organisations and individuals responsible for the harm caused by nuisance calls. The ICO works with the Insolvency Service to ensure as much of the monetary penalties issued to those that are in breach of the rules is recovered.</p><p>The ICO has arrangements with other countries to share information and intelligence about organisations potentially contravening UK law, including the PECR. It makes referrals to those countries where it identifies organisations making unlawful calls to UK subscribers, and has a number of such investigations ongoing at the present time. The ICO will continue to work with its counterparts including in countries where large numbers of nuisance calls are being made to the UK, in order to identify the offenders and solutions to the problem.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 290311 290312 290313 question first answered 01/10/2019 13:12:05 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1143812

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of nuisance calls to UK numbers.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	285240
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 09/09/2019 15:39:27 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1143813

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of nuisance calls.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	285241
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 09/09/2019 15:39:01 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1143814

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proactive investigative capacity exists to support enforcement of laws against nuisance calling and associated business practices.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	285242
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 09/09/2019 15:37:55 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1143815

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to (a) identify countries that are hotspots of illegal nuisance calling to the UK and associated business activity and (b) improve collaboration with regulators and other investigative and enforcement authorities in those countries.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	285243
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 09/09/2019 15:37:03 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1138938

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reduce the number of (a) bogus and (b) nuisance phone calls.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	277121
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>We have introduced a range of measures in recent months to reduce the number of nuisance calls. These include making company directors personally liable for any breach of the rules by their company and banning unwanted calls from claims management companies and pensions providers in the Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018. We are also funding the National Trading Standards Scams Team to provide telephone call blocking technology to vulnerable people, as announced during the Chancellor's budget last year. We recognise there are a minority of companies that continue to flout the law and we will work closely with regulators, industry and consumer groups to identify further ways of addressing the issue.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 18/07/2019 10:25:29 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1134866

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what change there has been in the number of nuisance calls being reported since the banning of cold calls from personal injury firms and pension providers.
	tabling member constituency	Ogmore
	tabling member printed	Chris Elmore
	uin	269771
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Complaints relating to cold calls from injury firms and pension providers are monitored by the Information Commissioner’s office (ICO). The ICO has reported a drop in complaints of cold calls from personal injury firms and pension providers since the new measures were introduced in September 2018 and January 2019 respectively. Details can be found on their website (https://ico.org.uk).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cold calling relating to claims management companies, including those that handle personal injury claims, and pensions are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and enforced by the ICO. The ICO and the FCA work together to carry out their respective regulatory responsibilities alongside Government to monitor the impact of cold calling bans.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 03/07/2019 16:20:17 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	4572 label Biography information for Chris Elmore

1111144

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Nuisance Calls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2019 to Question 220177 on Nuisance Calls, how many call blocking devices the Department plans to deliver to vulnerable people in (a) the UK and (b) Kent.
	tabling member constituency	Canterbury
	tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
	uin	243547
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2019 answer text <p>In March 2017 DCMS provided a grant of £500,000 to National Trading Standards to provide over 1500 call blocking devices to vulnerable people.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to continuing this work. The Chancellor announced in the 2018 Autumn Budget that the National Trading Standards will receive further funding to continue rolling out devices to vulnerable people.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has agreed to provide up to £640,000 for this project. The National Trading Standards are currently undertaking a procurement process for a supplier for the call blocking devices. We are not yet therefore able to provide details of precisely how many devices this further funding will deliver.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 23/04/2019 10:53:46 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield