The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) continues to provide an important free service for people and businesses who wish to opt out of receiving unsolicited live sales and marketing calls. Anyone who wishes to add their landline or mobile number to the TPS database can do so by visiting tpsonline.org.uk. Once a number has been registered, direct marketing organisations are legally required under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) to refrain from calling it.<\/p>
The Information Commissioner\u2019s Office (ICO) enforces the law and has powers to fine persons that break it. In 2021/22, the ICO issued over £2.8 million in fines issued to companies responsible for nuisance calls, texts and emails.<\/p>
The ICO are currently considering responses to their consultation on new regulatory guidance on the use of their enforcement powers under PECR. This includes consideration of the circumstances where it would be appropriate to fine organisations or individual directors; and the factors the ICO would take into account when setting the level of a monetary penalty. The draft guidance can be viewed on the ICO\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4647", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Julia Lopez"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornchurch and Upminster"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Julia Lopez"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-09-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-09-27T09:53:49.92Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-09-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Nuisance Calls"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Telephone Preference Service and (b) the powers of the Information Commissioner's Office to make directors liable for the fines imposed on their companies, in the context of helping to tackle nuisance calls.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4781", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Luke Evans"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bosworth"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Luke Evans"}
], "uin" : "52012"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1484643", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1484643/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is fully aware that unsolicited direct marketing calls, known as nuisance calls, can cause anxiety and distress, particularly for the most vulnerable people in our society.<\/p> Companies that send direct marketing communications are regulated by both the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and the data protection legislation (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018). The PECR was designed to complement the data protection legislation and impose strict obligations on organisations that make direct marketing calls to individuals in the UK. The legislation is regulated and enforced by the Information Commissioner\u2019s Office (ICO).<\/p> The Government\u2019s response to the consultation Data: A New Direction<\/a> which proposed reforms to improve the UK\u2019s data protection regime, including potential changes to the PECR, was published on the 17th June 2022.<\/p> The Government plans to introduce new legislation to allow the ICO to take enforcement action against organisations on the basis of the number of communications (calls, texts and emails) that they generate rather than just on the number that are connected. It will also require public communications service and network providers to inform the ICO of suspicious traffic transiting their networks when they have reasonable suspicion; and increase fines for direct marketing companies that continue to break the rules. In the future, this will mean that ICO could levy fines of up to £17.5m or 4% of a businesses\u2019 global turnover for serious infringements of the Regulations, rather than the current maximum which is set at £500,000.<\/p> These measures will upgrade the PECR enforcement regime to make it more effective, proportionate and dissuasive.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4647", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Julia Lopez"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornchurch and Upminster"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Julia Lopez"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-07-04T13:06:12.137Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Nuisance Calls"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to combat unsolicited and nuisance calls.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4064", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Steve Baker"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wycombe"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Steve Baker"}
], "uin" : "27587"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1330334", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1330334/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Companies that make marketing calls are regulated by both the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). The PECR was designed to complement the DPA and impose strict obligations on organisations that make marketing calls to individuals in the UK.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> The Government has taken a number of actions to tackle nuisance and automated marketing calls through amendments to the PECR. This includes introducing director liability and working with the Ministry of Justice and HM Treasury to ban cold calls from personal injury firms and pension providers. We also secured over £1 million to provide vulnerable people with call blocking devices.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> The regulators Ofcom and the Information Commissioner\u2019s Office have developed a joint action plan to tackle the harm to consumers caused by nuisance calls and communications. This can be found at:<\/p> https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/policy/tackling-nuisance-calls-messages<\/a><\/p> <\/strong><\/p> We continue to work with regulators and the telecoms industry in a joined up effort to tackle the issue of nuisance marketing communications.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/39", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Maldon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr John Whittingdale"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-06-10T14:32:55.85Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-06-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Nuisance Calls"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department and associated regulatory authorities are taking to reduce nuisance automated marketing calls.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1604", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ealing, Southall"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Virendra Sharma"}
], "uin" : "11717"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1300252", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1300252/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " HM Land Registry, as required by statute, includes within the register of title for England and Wales, the name and contact address details for each proprietor of a registered property. This can include email addresses, if the proprietor chooses to provide one, but it does not hold telephone numbers.<\/p> For a prescribed fee, a copy of the register entries that relate to an individual registered property can be obtained. HM Land Registry does not offer free and open access to the data they hold about property ownership. It publishes its commitment to citizens\u2019 privacy rights in a Personal Information Charter, which can be found here:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry/about/personal-information-charter#your-legal-rights<\/p> The Hon Member\u2019s constituents should be aware that they have a number of rights under the UK\u2019s data protection regime, including the right to object to their data being processed and the right to erasure of their data. If the contact numbers are being held by an organisation that processes personal information, that organisation must comply with the data protection principles.<\/p> If anyone is concerned about the handling of their data by any organisation, they should contact the Information Commissioner\u2019s Office (ICO) for further advice or to make a complaint. The ICO can be contacted by telephone on 0303 123 1113 or through their live chat facility: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/live-chat/. Further contact details are on the ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/<\/a>.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/39", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Maldon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr John Whittingdale"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-03-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-03-18T18:00:14.643Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-03-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Nuisance Calls"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to help prevent aggressive cold calling of land owners by prospective buyers who contact landowners even though their land is not advertised for sale.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4621", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Darren Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bristol North West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Darren Jones"}
], "uin" : "164590"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1278737", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1278737/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " DCMS have provided over £1 million in the last 3 years to the National Trading Standards for distribution of call blocking devices to vulnerable people. This funding helped to protect some of the most vulnerable in society from unsolicited calls including those originating from overseas. The devices have proven to be very effective, blocking 99% of scam and nuisance calls to date.<\/p> The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. Both the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have responsibility to reduce the levels of nuisance calls, with the ICO being responsible 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\u2019s website at https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/39", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Maldon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr John Whittingdale"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-01-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "140951"}
, {"_value" : "140952"}
, {"_value" : "140953"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-01-28T15:50:49.317Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-01-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Nuisance Calls"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made with National Trading Standards on supplying call blocking devices to vulnerable people.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4781", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Luke Evans"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bosworth"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Luke Evans"}
], "uin" : "140950"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1278741", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1278741/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " DCMS have provided over £1 million in the last 3 years to the National Trading Standards for distribution of call blocking devices to vulnerable people. This funding helped to protect some of the most vulnerable in society from unsolicited calls including those originating from overseas. The devices have proven to be very effective, blocking 99% of scam and nuisance calls to date.<\/p>